The addition of 2-lithio-2-methylpropionitrile (1) to chirally modified eta(6)-arene-tricarbonylchromium complexes (5) leads to the formation of 2-(cyclohex-2-en-1-on-5-yl)-2-methylpropionitrile (4) in good yields and, under thermodynamically controlled conditions, with up to 48% ee. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd