Overview
Venezolana Opening Jobs in Almaty, Almaty, Kazakhstan at Chessiverse AB
Title: Venezolana Opening
Company: Chessiverse AB
Location: Almaty, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Articles/Opening Guides/Venezolana Opening
Venezolana Opening
A001.d3 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3
Nov 15, 2028
2 min read
TL;DR
- d3 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 heads toward a Closed Sicilian by transposition. Tiny sample size and a slightly unusual move order — useful only as a surprise weapon for fans of the resulting Closed Sicilian structures.
Reviewed by
IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator
International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses.
In This Article
- History and Notable Players
- Move Diversity and Theory Depth
- Common Mistakes
- Practice on Chessiverse
Summary
The Venezolana Opening begins with 1.d3 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 (ECO A00). With 3,282 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Mieses Opening.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is g6, played 22.3% of the time. There are 6 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 57.3% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.93. By 2500, g6 dominates at 78.3% of replies; only 2 viable alternatives remain and 91.3% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.17. The narrowing is significant — strong players consolidate around a small set of best moves, while amateurs scatter across many plausible-looking options.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 50.7% — versus 72.4% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Nf6 (played 16.2% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- Playing without a plan — Each Venezolana Opening middlegame demands a specific approach. Decide whether the position calls for attack, manoeuvre, or simplification before reaching for a move.
Practice on Chessiverse
Ready to try the Venezolana Opening against a bot? Pick an opponent at your level and play a game.
Quick Facts
Main Line1.d3 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3
DifficultyIntermediate
Parent OpeningMieses Opening
3,282games on Lichess
45.5%
4.8%
49.7%
White wins Draws Black wins
Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid)
Most Popular At2200
SharpnessSharp
Popularity by Rating
Percentage of all games at each rating bracket that feature this opening.
Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid games)
Theory Adherence by Rating
How often players choose the single most popular move at this position. Higher = more predictable play.
Black to move after the opening line
Popularity Over Time
Share of all Lichess blitz + rapid games featuring this opening, by year.
Top Moves by Rating
Black to move after the opening line
RatingMost Popular2nd3rd
400g618.4%Nf616.2%e516.2%
1000g618.4%e616.2%Nf615.7%
1200g622.3%e620.9%Nf614.1%
1400e622.7%g621.9%d613.6%
1600e624.4%g621.7%d614.9%
1800g624.4%e619.8%d519.4%
2000g638.7%d523.3%e610.4%
2200g658.4%d515.1%e56.7%
2500g678.3%e58.7%e64.3%
Popularity by Time Control
Bullet
<0.01%6K
Blitz
<0.01%3K
Rapid
0%412
2% more decisive in bullet
Raw data tables (Lichess blitz + rapid)
Venezolana Opening: popularity and win rates by player rating Rating (Elo) Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness 400 0.00 138 44.2 49.3 6.5 0.935 1000 0.00 185 47.6 46.5 5.9 0.941 1200 0.00 361 44.0 51.5 4.4 0.956 1400 0.00 531 47.5 49.5 3.0 0.970 1600 0.00 661 42.8 53.3 3.9 0.961 1800 0.00 541 47.9 49.4 2.8 0.972 2000 0.00 424 42.9 51.7 5.4 0.946 2200 0.00 418 48.6 42.3 9.1 0.909 2500 0.00 23 26.1 56.5 17.4 0.826 Venezolana Opening: move-choice theory adherence by rating Rating (Elo) Top move Top move % Viable moves Theory % Entropy 400 g6 18.4 8 50.7 3.196 1000 g6 18.4 6 50.3 3.036 1200 g6 22.3 6 57.3 2.930 1400 e6 22.7 6 58.2 2.886 1600 e6 24.4 6 61.0 2.773 1800 g6 24.4 6 63.6 2.739 2000 g6 38.7 5 72.4 2.443 2200 g6 58.4 5 80.1 2.042 2500 g6 78.3 2 91.3 1.173 Venezolana Opening: popularity over time Year Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % 2013 0.00 3 33.3 66.7 0.0 2014 0.00 4 75.0 25.0 0.0 2015 0.00 14 42.9 57.1 0.0 2016 0.00 36 36.1 61.1 2.8 2017 0.00 54 33.3 59.3 7.4 2018 0.00 206 38.3 56.8 4.9 2019 0.00 304 46.7 49.3 3.9 2020 0.00 613 46.3 49.6 4.1 2021 0.00 531 49.3 46.0 4.7 2022 0.00 400 47.0 48.5 4.5 2023 0.00 466 44.4 49.6 6.0 2024 0.00 396 45.5 50.8 3.8 2025 0.00 478 45.0 49.0 6.1 Venezolana Opening: popularity by time control Format Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness bullet 0.00 5,528 45.7 51.0 3.4 0.966 blitz 0.00 2,870 45.8 49.4 4.8 0.952 rapid 0.00 412 43.2 51.7 5.1 0.949 Venezolana Opening: top candidate moves by rating bracket Rating (Elo) 1st move 1st % 2nd move 2nd % 3rd move 3rd % 400 g6 18.4 Nf6 16.2 e5 16.2 1000 g6 18.4 e6 16.2 Nf6 15.7 1200 g6 22.3 e6 20.9 Nf6 14.1 1400 e6 22.7 g6 21.9 d6 13.6 1600 e6 24.4 g6 21.7 d6 14.9 1800 g6 24.4 e6 19.8 d5 19.4 2000 g6 38.7 d5 23.3 e6 10.4 2200 g6 58.4 d5 15.1 e5 6.7 2500 g6 78.3 e5 8.7 e6 4.3
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Venezolana Opening?
The Venezolana Opening begins with 1.d3 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 and is classified under ECO code A00.
Is the Venezolana Opening good for beginners?
The Venezolana Opening can be played at any level. Beginners should focus on understanding the key strategic ideas rather than memorizing long theoretical lines. Our AI bots at various rating levels provide a great way to practice the opening concepts.
What are the win rates for the Venezolana Opening?
In a database of 3,282 master games, White wins 45.5% of the time, Black wins 49.7%, and 4.8% are drawn.
How can I practice the Venezolana Opening?
On Chessiverse, you can practice the Venezolana Opening by playing against our 600+ AI bots. Each bot has a unique playing style and opening repertoire, so you can find the perfect sparring partner for any level.
Related Openings
Indian Game: 2.Nf3 Systems
- Nf3 against 1…Nf6: White delays c4, sidesteps Nimzo theory and steers for London, Colle or Torre setups. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.
Amar Opening
- Nh3 puts the knight on the rim from move one. Doesn't lose material but surrenders the first-move advantage. Joke opening. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.
Amar Opening: Gambit
Amar Gambit: White sacrifices the f-pawn after the knight on h3 for sharp tactical lines from a dubious setup. Surprise weapon. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.
Amsterdam Attack
- e3 e5 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.b3 Nf6: a hypermodern reversed setup from the Van't Kruijs move order. Rare and quietly positional. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.
Reviewed by
IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator
International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses.
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