Chess Openings: How to ACTUALLY Play the Hippopotamus Defense!

MY HIPPO COURSE!!! thechessgiant.gumroad.com/l/h...
Chess Openings: How to ACTUALLY Play the Hippopotamus Defense!
0:00 30% OFF HIPPOPOTAMUS DEFENSE COURSE!!!!
1:29 WHAT THE HECK IS THE HIPPO????
2:34 Move Order DOES Matter! (But Many Work)
3:47 How I Play the Modern Defense
6:43 How to NOT Play Against Hippopotamus Defense
8:25 The 4 Middlegame Attacking Ideas (IMPORTANT!)
9:57 Me Going On a Rant
The Hippopotamus Defense is a FANTASTIC Chess Opening which I cannot say enough about. I've made way too many videos on it, and played it EXCLUSIVELY to hit the Candidate Master (CM) and National Master (NM) titles. On this channel (in the 77 videos on the Hippo Defense so far) we've covered a ton of different chess games, chess theory, chess strategy, chess moves, chess ideas, chess traps, etc!
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[@TheChessGiant]

MY HIPPO COURSE!!! thechessgiant.gumroad.com/l/hippopotamusdefensecourse

[@WARRENBUFETT]

You may not be the highest rated chess player, but I think you have the best personality of all the chess teachers out there. Kudos to you! You're intelligent, articulate, patient, good sense of humor and best of all, humble.

[@TheChessGiant]

Thank you for that. This comment means a lot man. Blessings to you and yours. 🙏🏽

[@leonromer567]

Had people make fun of me for playing the Hippo when i was around 1000 Elo. Now i am 1800+ going for 1900 still with the Hippo. Hippo is hungry.

[@user-pv5jt8yq7j]

Do you play it with rapid or blitZ

[@leonromer567]

@@user-pv5jt8yq7j i played it in classical for quite some games now. Vs higher level opponents its quite stressfull so i switched recently to normal theory but its more solid than one might think

[@TheChessGiant]

LOVE IT! Ya I was made fun of it for awhile too, but if something works... it works!

[@leonromer567]

@@TheChessGiant have that with 1.e3 currently. You either get a Reversed French or transpose into Colle as white. As black 1.e6 with French and QGD is simple aswell. Super solid repertoire which has been serving me incredibly well..

[@user-pv5jt8yq7j]

@@TheChessGiant can you play the hippo with rapid or blitZ. I play it with rapid but I don't know which one is more effective

[@floydsequeira1019]

Another banger video. I went from 800 to 1140 rating just from watching your videos and playing HiPPO . i do get trash talk from opponents when I play this opening. love that lol. Cheers brother

[@TheChessGiant]

Wow that is some great progress! Congrats to you for that! And thanks for the kind words and for tuning into the content. Glad to help! 🦛🦛

[@bradtobin11]

Thank you for all you do...I bought the Hippo course last year in Aug, I love it. Your Hippo course and GM Simon Williams course are constant recourses as I try to improve.

[@TheChessGiant]

Thank YOU for following the content brotha and investing in the course. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Let me know how I can help as you continue to progress!

[@WalterReade]

It's great to see this channel growing!

[@TheChessGiant]

Thanks Walter!

[@randycarson9812]

Will Christmas come early? We've been awfully good hippos!

[@TheChessGiant]

😂🙏🏽🤝🦛

[@FloatingSunfish]

Many thanks for another great Hippo video Solomon! I finished the course a couple months ago and I must say, it's the *_best_* Hippo course I've seen so far! Of course, I still need to review it some more to get the most out of it, but it's a solid starting point and refresher for Hippo players everywhere! Highly recommended!

[@babloojai6553]

is it just a video or it has move training?

[@FloatingSunfish]

@@babloojai6553It's a series of instructive videos and has some games at the end. Perhaps by "move training," you mean something interactive?

[@TheChessGiant]

Just video. It's 10 videos (that go over 6 hours in total) with 22 PGNs to assist your studying of the course and the positions that arise. No move trainer, with the Hippo there isn't as much theory as there is middlegame strategy. But I did make a theory chapter with chapter 9.

[@TheChessGiant]

Thanks for this!! Appreciate you!

[@exuviumisopods]

NM Robert Ramirez (RobRam) that has been teaching the Pirc defense and Czech Pirc for years, now also plays the Hippopotamus defense a lot. And I have seen many other videos on your channel regarding the Pirc Defense. I thought that was interesting to note 😁

[@aaronf.186]

Just started playing the hippo. Its been great for blitz

[@eco4145]

hi solomon u know i love the content .. ive been struggling against on black against pawn storm on king side .. im looking through your series and i know you have covered it but if you have a link handy i would appreciate it but dont go out of your way! thank you again for all you do and happy hippo day!

[@TheChessGiant]

Here is a video which hopefully helps! kzbin.info/www/bejne/enyvi6CrnbSVgac

[@eco4145]

@@TheChessGiant yes! that is the one! thank you so much big hippo bro!

[@vaderx2000]

Awesome video. Btw I almost jumped out of my seat when you said you’re 7’1 😂 I did not expect that

[@literallysweden]

Imagine playing against a literal chess giant

[@TheChessGiant]

Haha that's funny. Ya hard to tell when I'm sitting down I guess lol

[@Carbon000]

I'm actually excited to see this

[@TheChessGiant]

🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@floydsequeira1019]

Can't wait 🦛🦛

[@TheChessGiant]

YESSIR 🦛🙏🏽🦛🙏🏽🦛🙏🏽🦛🙏🏽

[@michaelallport5816]

Excellent!

[@TheChessGiant]

🦛🙏🏽🦛

[@randycarson9812]

Woohoo! Thanks, Solomon. EVERY day is Hippo Day!

[@TheChessGiant]

Yessssirrrr!!

[@diegomoritz8289]

Dear Solomon, any oppening system recomendation, to play against absolutely anything black can play, but as strong as the hippo(besides the hippo itself lol) which offers the white pieces as many conditios to strive for the victory as the hippo? thanks in advance,your videos are amazing and I will son buy your complete course on the hippo,have been getting amazing results since i started following your tips on how to play this wonderful system.

[@jotarokujo7955]

oh wow, after 2 years watching videos on your channel now I know because you´re the chess giant. 7´1 you´re a giant!

[@TheChessGiant]

Hahaha yep!!

[@jotarokujo7955]

Since I play a lot the Owen´s Defence with black, I like to start with b6

[@TheChessGiant]

That's great!! Simon Williams is a big fan of this move order.

[@stolenhandle]

premieres in 11 minutes! Heck yeah! Go Giant Go!

[@TheChessGiant]

🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@johnmahugu]

i started playing blitz, i am so killing them with the hippo.

[@TheChessGiant]

Ayyyyyyyy let's goo mannnn

[@user-xk1ff7bq1j]

Thank you for your videos!!! I have gone to the top 90% in my games, and everything is way easier to see... So, naturally, doing it so fast, in a week, I've been reported for cheating in Chess. Lol best thing to ever been accused of. THANK YOU!!!!! HAD to show, in ptp, that it really works. There's no cheating needed for it. It's not my fault, that they mess up their own and hate on this opening. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!! I'll be ready to go back to USCF, and give the GMS a run, and get MY OWN TITLE!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

[@TheChessGiant]

Ayy glad to hear it brotha!!! That is great you are doing so well with it. It truly is a fantastic option no matter which color you are playing with. Keep it up and let me know how I can help 🦛🦛🦛🦛

[@randycarson9812]

Solomon, as you said in this video, Stockfish often rates the Hippo negatively in the opening. At what move number, do you find that it begins to make since to listen to Stockfish's evaluation of the position? 10? 12? (Assuming nothing crazy in the move order, of course.)

[@TheChessGiant]

Ya maybe 10 or 12? The engine seems to start thinking the Hippo is actually okay lol. Of course the game review gives me 1-3 "mistakes" while getting there... but then the position is even.

[@skyeruddell3196]

Two more days! Notification is on!

[@TheChessGiant]

Thanks for that! 🦛🦛

[@tomas-wi8dy]

The Hippo is one a most elastic approach, many position can result from: hedgehog, kid - and any like ... duch, and/or all them mixed. The first drawback (for me): is SLOW, is like a vipera (who stand waithing on side of road to cach his prize - isn't my style), I preffer Scheweningen, Grunfeld, Nimzoindian (with black) and 1.e4 (Ruy Lopez, Scotch or open Sicilian -> with white) ... sometimes 1.Kc3, 1.d3, 1.c3, 1.g3. 1.Kf3, 1.e3 or 1.a3 not realy 1.b3 (but 1.Nf3 ... 2. b3 yes)

[@TheChessGiant]

So much flexibility and cross-chess opening ideas from the Hippopotamus Defense!

[@sHaterred-vh7cs]

Good content man I recently found your channel and it's being great I feel I'm learning and improving my chess

[@TheChessGiant]

Thanks for that! Let me know if you ever have any chess related questions or KZbin content you'd want to see!

[@sHaterred-vh7cs]

@@TheChessGiant thanks maybe video how to improve at chess like training plan like what you did to get your title or smth also titled Tuesday competitive stuff but this time play other opening then hippo mix it up I think it will be good 💯

[@higgledypiggledycubledy8899]

After seeing a few videos for entertainment I just tried a couple of hippo games for the first time. Lost a bullet game on time but barely and in a very winning position, then very convincingly won a blitz game with my opponent down 2 minutes. I think I'll play this opening again 🤔

[@TheChessGiant]

Let me know how it goes! I find that the Hippo will usually give me a nice time advantage to work with, especially in classical formats.

[@higgledypiggledycubledy8899]

@@TheChessGiant pretty well, I just won a blitz game against someone more than 50% higher rated than me - resignation on move 18 after I trapped their queen, but engine said I had a big advantage from move 11. So far my biggest issue is I often forget to start a hippo because I have such a habit of e4/e5 :) Thanks!

[@TimJapan]

Just bought it!

[@TheChessGiant]

Thanks for investing in it! And hope you like it!

[@pianxtremeyt]

Have you covered the Sicilian Katalimov variation?? Just curious. Just recently started playing it and thought it was pretty interesting. Kinda reminded me of the Smith Morra Gambit, but a bit different. I usually don’t ever play the Sicilian as black bc…(religious and philosophical beliefs 🤫(I’m a nonconformist and hate everything popular, no matter what) but bc this was an unusual line of the Sicilian, I got interested…. 1.e4-c5 2.Nf3-b6(?!) I used it 10 times on my friends account against 10 2300+ to 2700- players and won 7 lost 2 and stalemated my own ass 1. It’s interesting but I have more favored openings. I might try this weird Hippo defense style you have, you got me curious here. It seems very risky to me though and (if I might say personally) amateurish, but I’ve never tried it, so I’ll try a few games and let you know how it goes 😬😬

[@TheChessGiant]

I have not covered this!! In fact, I have never even heard of it. Crazy how many chess openings are out there. Thanks for putting this on my radar. And ya let me know how the Hippo goes for you!

[@thenoseplays2488]

Love the hippo and your videos. Wish there were better books on it. The one I gor wasn't my cup of tea. Your videos have been helpful though.

[@TheChessGiant]

Glad to hear you are liking the content brotha! Appreciate it. And what book did you get? I have only got one, and it was okay....

[@thenoseplays2488]

@TheChessGiant "The Hippo System" by Eric briffoz and Gary Gifford The book might be fine for someone more classically trained, but for a casual player like myself I find your content much more useful. The book is full of high level example games but is a lot of move notation and really requires you to have a board in front of you as you study the games. What I am looking for are the middle game positions to try to work into that provide good tactics...such as the rook a2/h2 slide the queen over for double ram video you recently did. More unique interesting positions that give you some potential advantage or tactic to play from moving into late game.

[@randycarson9812]

🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛(6 days)

[@TheChessGiant]

🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛

[@stolenhandle]

Question for you: You have over 3,000+ glorious hours of Hippo on KZbin. What does your Hippo course offer that isn't available here? (and Thank You!)

[@randycarson9812]

Solomon may respond, but I would say that what the Hippo Course offers is solid material presented in a condensed, systematic fashion.

[@WalterReade]

The course covers core strategy. Very important for understanding the big picture.

[@johnstorey7547]

Very engaging and at times hilarious I used to play hippo as a ten year old against a schoolteacher and occasionally go back now 50 years later Congratulations on the great content

[@TheChessGiant]

Hey! There are a lot of things I could speak on which are different, but the main one being that the Hippo course is meant to take you from 0-100 in a very systematic fashion. The videos have little nuggest of knowledge but they might feel somewhat random. The course builds from nothing and keeps building systematically into more complicated topics. Hope this helps!

[@TheChessGiant]

Thanks for that!

[@efthorpe]

Is the Hippo easier to play as White or as Black?

[@TheChessGiant]

Uh many like playing it with black more. (Probably because white often takes the center and this can sometimes make it even better for us). But really, with both sides we are doing the same exact thing.... except with white we get an extra tempo!

[@GeneralBlorp]

Alternate title, en francais: ‘ow to be ‘appy as an ‘ippo

[@sweaterkev]

Why do you tease us so?

[@TheChessGiant]

Shoot... you right.

[@johnmahugu]

i love the hippo, i am felling them left right and centre .... mmmmmuhahahahahaha

[@TheChessGiant]

YERRRR

[@dmr288]

🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛 hippo hippo hippo hippo hippo

[@TheChessGiant]

🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛

[@johnmahugu]

doesnt feel good when someone 5 feet shorter than you beats you :D

[@TheChessGiant]

No it doesn't!!! Ya. Not sure I'll ever forget that moment. Tough stuff.

[@lorenzozorrer]

🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛

[@TheChessGiant]

🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛

[@lorenzozorrer]

@@TheChessGiant 🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛

[@chessforfunonly1586]

Too much hand signals and sh!tty opening!

[@TheChessGiant]

lol. wishing you a great day brotha!

[@randycarson9812]

🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛 (Counting down 7 days)

[@TheChessGiant]

🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛🦛

[@TheChessGiant]

A Hippopotamus Defense video with 4 middlegame positions coming soon! (Prolly around 19th)

[@randycarson9812]

@@TheChessGiant This is like waiting for Christmas...will it EVER be here???

[@TheChessGiant]

😂🙏🏼🦛@@randycarson9812