Arylmalononitriles were prepared from the corresponding benzoyl chlorides by three reaction steps . Treatment of the starting substances with cyanotrimethylsilane in the presence of pyridine gave dicyanotrimethylsiloxymethylbenzenes, which were transformed into chlorodicyanomethylbenzenes with POCl3-pyridine in the second step. Finally, reduction of chlorodicyanomethylbenzenes with Zn–CH3CO2H afforded