To download the free ebook "The Beginner's Game", go to http://www.beginnersgame.com.
In their 1966 World Championship Match, Spassky drew Petrosian in the two games in which he essayed the "beginner's game" as black. So, it's not just for beginners. :)
ha ha the conversation is heating up i like it .Hippo rocks
we have some nice games there.
I don't like the setup myself, but obviously it is a viable approach.
Conzipe, the move order here is of critical importance! After 1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 e6!? 5. Nf3 Ne7 6. Bd3! Black should play either 6...0-0 or 6...a6!? (or 6...Nc6!?) and not 6...b6? (thus "staying" on the h3-c8 diagonal with his light-squared bishop!). Going for the pure Hippo set-up is playable only (and only!) when White delayed and/or not played an early Bd3! (thus the f4-f5 push is ineffective!). Any master-level player should be familiar with the above.
GM Krasenkow (he was a 2700+ Grandmaster for a while!) is the world leading expert for Black in the 1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 e6!? line end he knows when to go for the (pure) hippo from there. Here is a game where he allowed the f4-f5 push but it still wasn't decisive.
Rainbow you hit the nail right in the centre Well said .As hippopotamus is best played as black.In the title as i mentioned Hippopotamus attacks in the sense after forming the hippo set up black attacks very aggresively .
Conzipe, the move order here is of critical importance! After 1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 e6!? 5. Nf3 Ne7 6. Bd3! Black should play either 6...0-0 or 6...a6!? (or 6...Nc6!?) and not 6...b6? (thus "staying" on the h3-c8 diagonal with his light-squared bishop!). Going for the pure Hippo set-up is playable only (and only!) when White delayed and/or not played an early Bd3! (thus the f4-f5 push is ineffective!). Any master-level player should be familiar with the above.
GM Krasenkow (he was a 2700+ Grandmaster for a while!) is the world leading expert for Black in the 1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 e6!? line end he knows when to go for the (pure) hippo from there. Here is a game where he allowed the f4-f5 push but it still wasn't decisive.
I think this line kinda of demonstrates why playing 4...e6?! is probably not such a great idea because black is way to slow with hes counter-play and white is likely to achieve a d5, e5 or f5 break first. Notice that the alternative 6...a6 transposes to an a6 modern where black has played passively also 6...Nc6 puts the knight on a pretty bad square since it blocks the c-pawn etc. and if black can't achieve an effective e6-e5 push the knight is just going to a target on c6.
6...0-0 followed by d5 might be blacks best idea, reaching a french type of position where again black has played quite passively which should give white some kind of edge, though black can hope for some counter-play there. If black just continues playing to reach a hippo formation white is going to get in a timely f4-f5 push.
Also of course the f4-f5 push isn't always decisive, white has to time it very well in order for it to be effective which is usually the case when you're going for any kind of pawn-break.
I have actually met 6...0-0 in one of my games before and this is how that went:
In general I don't think the hippo is such a great opening mainly because it's way to passive. It can be good if you can somehow achieve a timely c5 or f5 break and get some kind of maneuvering space for your pieces. However often in the hippo neither of the thematic breaks are any effective and then it's just really hard to do anything productive and best thing to do is often just repeating moves like Qc8-Qd8-Qc8-Qd8-Qc8 etc. waiting for white to overextend himself or weaken hes position in some way allowing one of the breaks. And being a sitting duck in chess is rarely a good sign.
Also if you want to play the hippo I think the move-order is incredibly important and you should avoid playing inflexible moves such as 4...e6?! probably the best way to reach a hippo would be through an a6 modern since that will usually provoke white to play something like Nf3, a4 and if white playes something more aggressive like the austrian you can always follow a6 modern ideas and get more counter-play.
Conzipe, the pure Hippo set-up is just one option for the Modern defence player. After 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 e6!? Black is not obliged to play the pure Hippo set-up. Also, it’s much more tricky to enter the Hippo via the Owen/English defence (if you want to play the (pure) Hippo some 70-80% of the time). Are you think Grandmasters Krasenkow and Hickl (they both play the 4…e6!? line vs the Austrian attack) so weak players and unfamiliar with all you tell us. Here is a game in this line by the ex-world champ Spassky too.
PS. I don’t state that 4…e6!? is Black best orthodox response to the Austrian attack. But I state that this line is playable even at GM level. The “philosophy” of this line is close to the Hippo so a Hippo player might play it from time to time. Further, the f4-f5 push is too primitive – every second amateur is trying it vs the Hippo. I have played many Hippo games but couldn’t remember to lose a game vs these primitive ideas.
Hippo chess and conzipe i am very happy youare having a meaningfull conversation.
Hippochess I have a question for you.
Can hippopotamus defence( played by black ) used against any white opening?
Are there any speciic white opening which makes it Hippo proof .
Totally agree with everything conzipe said. f5 at the same time is a powerful possibility and one overestimated by some amateurs (who may be tempted to play it too quickly). Personally, I think bringing the knight to e2 and guarding the center with c3 is a fine way to go, as it really makes it hard for black to get any play, as, as is so often with a structure with less space, if you fail to put strong enough pressure on it you run into a dead end with pushed back pieces as those pawns were your only targets.
Even masters, as has been shown, can get confused. Ok, you have the spassky game, but despite the fact that it was a master game, do you really think the moves are all best and worthy of going straight into an opening book? No! The moves for both sides may have been logical, but far from perfect.
Another game as white i tried to set up Hippo type formation and won comfortably .
Lol you are 100% right.
23 F5 most cunning move in chess history.Threatens mate and attacks rook.
oh, I thought this was one of those dangerous adventure threads.... what to do during a hippopotamus attack.
This opening looks idiotic to me. In my opinion, white is crushed after black achieves an Austrian Attack setup. At least under master level.
Just look at the back page :))) .