Finding The Hippo Attack Annoying? TRY THIS!! | GM Naroditsky’s Top Theory Speedrun

[@Anon123454]

"I want to emphasize simplicity and straightforwardness in this game" 10 seconds later "Ah what the hell, let's do it"

[@arleyantes9321]

Exactly my thought process when I play. Except I lose.

[@Samuftie]

15:08 timestamp comment please

[@marcofrey2903]

But once you see it, you realize it really is the most simple approach, even if it's not straightforward.

[@ianerickson2210]

As chess players, sometimes we see an idea or a move that just looks too fun NOT to play :)

[@f.d.3289]

sounds like me xD

[@RobFlaxMusic]

Every now and then I get discouraged-“ugh, why watch the video on the Hippo”-and then Danya drops this GEM about the “Argentinian tragedy,” and goes on a historical tangent to showcase a tactical motif I’ve never seen before. WOW!

[@rrocham]

It's so satisfying watching Danya destroying dubious openings.

[@againsthegrainx7556]

The way his opponent played made me angry. Playing so quickly and moving like 6 pawns as their first moves. Looks so stupid.

[@tengu8560]

The hippo isn’t dubious…

[@armwrestlingfan6804]

Magnoose loves playing the hippo

[@Aarron-io3pm]

It's even more satisfying when youve been doing nofap in-between Danya uploads 🙊

[@textik5821]

@@tengu8560 was this the hippo lol? dont say it was, it wasnt, it was a tilted player playing instantly and getting absolutely demolished.

[@arleyantes9321]

Don't be disappointed with that sort of play by your opponent. We face those guys often, and it's terribly infuriating to lose to them from time to time.

[@gen_jose3380]

So true!

[@kesetokaiba]

“Argentinian Tragedy” I hadn't heard before, but this is a beautiful attacking idea (clearance with tempo) with an amazing story behind it. The hippo portion was good, but this story was gold! :)

[@rizalkhafidin1471]

I love the story time at the end, hope Danya will do it more often

[@KF-gd5zt]

Imagine chessbrah meet him while doing their own speedrun

[@thorp6172]

That would be great haha

[@cz19856]

eric's hippo speedrun is blitz unfortunately

[@300mare]

Both: "this opponent might not be 1600 "

[@walterbrownstone8017]

Actually it felt like 30 seconds.

[@rmendeljacobs2832]

I was thinking the same

[@JonathanS344]

Easily the most instructive chess channel on youtube! Love the videos Danya!

[@tuhaggis]

One of biggest lessons I'm picking up from these longer format speed runs, is to use my time to look for options instead of relying on my intuition for 'obvious' looking moves. If Danya spends time on moves where I thought I saw a clear way forward, I have not learnt to use my time effectively. I think I have focused too much on playing blitz and bullet and it's made me put too much emphasis on playing quickly.

[@minorasin]

It's a bit ironic that you learn this lesson from one of the fastest GMs alive

[@DanielKondratiuk]

@@minorasin the fastest GM alive is Rebecca Harris...

[@300mare]

@@minorasin ye but it also resonates more.

[@300mare]

@@DanielKondratiuk he said one of the fastest.

[@curtis4948]

my rapid rating jumped after i played a bunch of daily games that taught me to dive in and look for better no matter what i think its best

[@BasedGob]

God give me as many videos of Danya destroying troll openings as possible

[@tomdon84]

Once again, I really feel the urge to say "thanks", because this is the most instructive video series on chess I've ever seen and this video in particular, with all this strategic ideas, is top 5 in Danya's all time video collection. I really hope you get the same satisfaction making this series than we get watching it

[@owaisabdulmoeed7644]

That mate in 2 was... wow. I would never have found that in a real game. Key takeaway from this game for me was the idea of "shepherding" the king to the right square. What a teacher Danya is! Every video I learn something new. Thank you, Danya.

[@zeebest1004]

5:41 - If the player pushes to a4 the proper hippo response is to do nothing beyond having pawns at a5 and b5. THEN if the player pushes to a5 or b5 the hippo guy will respectively push to b5 or a5. This locks the a and b files, the attack black is trying in this case. This is true for black or white hippo players whether the opponent tries this attack on the King OR Queen side! AND if anti-hippo tries b4xc5, the hippo can freely …a6xc5 opening up the hippo rook file 3 more squares. If he tries to b5xa6 hippo guy can Rxb6 and have a partially open file for HIS rook! If anti-hippo replies with a4xb5… after …a6xb5 hippo guy can snatch the anti-hippo rook for free! Anyway, he meant to say white would move to b5 in response not b4 - he should at least get the moves annotated right!!

[@mrmacguffin6886]

The Argentinean tragedy story was the single best chess story bit I've ever head, and the game you showed is now one my favourite games of all time. I need to really look into it more myself. Just wow. I'm not usually particularly impressed with moves or combinations that others consider remarkable, but this looks mind-blowing to me for some reason. Keep it up Daniel!

[@morzineau8102]

Amazing Video ! Thanks

[@MarkNoka]

Great content man, keep it up. I love you

[@zackmulhollan6333]

Thank you Danya for these videos, it is my nightime routine

[@bry8120]

Breakfast with Danya is choice

[@yugangstaz]

Keep posting these sensei for as long as you can plz. You are the best

[@masone4718]

Welp guess I’m not actually going to bed yet

[@peterlafrance5392]

in the same boat

[@yugangstaz]

You should try watching it in the bed..it whips llama's ass

[@Dimbo4466]

Yeah, danya has really mastered the optimal video release time for his audience lol.

[@PeterChessPupil]

I love you Daniel, God bless you for being so generous to put of such high quality instructive videos, better than that other dude, although i saw your reddit post.

[@dave4468]

One of the best speed run videos yet. From start to finish, very well explained and entertaining. Loved the side story too to solidify some of the concepts/fundamentals. Great work danya :]

[@aaronspry4500]

Can't miss these speedruns.

[@rodrigorosales5930]

This is one of my favorite videos man, love what you do❤️

[@wunknownbeatbox7980]

50:59 This is a line I was actually calculating during the game and I was looking at Bc1 as a stubborn defense, and I thought you would like this little extra detail as I was trying to refute it, not sure it it's best. f3! if Bxf3 then Qxf3! Nxf3 Nc2#. Having our rook on d8 frees the labor of the queen and forever ties down the d2 Knight to the same mate on c2 (edit I see you go over Bc1 literally a few seconds later lol, I also looked at that line as well, but what do you think of just f3)

[@danielfraser6193]

Daniel, this speedrun you are very good at explaining your ideas and its been the best place for improving your chess on youtube!

[@doiknowmyenemy]

I have never seen a more thorough explanation of how to dominate passive play. Thank you again for your content Danya

[@philos9295]

I loved the story at the end! You're the best danya

[@antimatter2417]

Wow I loved the analysis today and the awesome storytelling, thx Danya

[@jonhanlon9293]

One of these days Danya’s going to have to rediscover the wheel

[@andremarques1088]

😂😂😂

[@tmbhbnt8281]

so against dubious openings, how do we know if the approach is "go for the throat quickly before they consolidate and we lose our development advantage" or "squeeze slowly, if you rush it might backfire"? I feel in most speedruns the approach have been the former when the opponent misplays the opening, but here it seems you advocate for the latter. Any explanation?

[@yessir6427]

idk chess ishard

[@thatguy5233]

from what i understood from the video, it's all about when to open the center. against hippo it's quite different because it actually has solid defense, so you can't just open the center and expect to win - you'll actually lose the advantage, or be winning a lot less. other dubious openings are often not prepared for opening the center so you can strike immediately. anyway, that's what he meant I THINK

[@thatguy5233]

also, other opening often are considered dubious only because there is 1-3 moves that punish it and if you don't play them in time, you might even be losing. hippo is considered dubious because of how passive it is - you just let the enemy prepare and attack and hope for a mistake on the way, but there are no certain moves that'll give you an immediate advantage

[@spark5010]

most of the time u go for the throat only when your king is much safer than enemy

[@adamanonymous6885]

I'm far from a high rated player, but my understanding is that it comes down to thinking about *why* the opponent's opening is dubious... I play a lot of dubious trash in blitz, fishing for quick checkmates or big advantages, and against that kind of opening, you should probably strike back accurately and immediately to punish my ignoring king safety and development... Openings like the hippo are dubious for pretty much the exact opposite reason.. They aren't competing for space or advantage, they aren't trying to make threats, they are passively denying the other player any targets and hoping that the lack of obvious plans will frustrate or confuse them, and will trigger a premature attack. Against these openings, you have as much time as you need to set up your pieces however you like, and can slowly brew a devastating attack, free from the need to spend any moves countering threats from your opponent

[@SabyasachiGhosh1618]

@43:47 I liked the part where Najdorf said it's Najdorfing time and Najdorfed all over the place

[@samanderson427]

Does anyone else describe the moves their making in their own games, out loud in Danya's voice, hoping that it will somehow make them the right moves?

[@i.g.l.z.9215]

Greetings from Gothenburg, Sweden! Thanks for the instructional video and especially for the "Argentinian tragedy" story - fun to learn some chess history that unfolded right here in my hometown. ☺

[@veselinvasilev3499]

Favourite episode so far, tx Danya!

[@tarek9785]

The story time, it was so much entertaining and instructive at the same time, i loved it! I would love if there was a series like this, telling chess stories. I hope that you please consider the idea, you are really good at it and know how to make it sound entertaining and instructive

[@OostyMcBoost]

Love these videos so much! Wish you were able to put out more but I’ll take anything I can get

[@kevinalexis5648]

That backwards move with the Queen was wicked 🥶

[@PeterPerhac]

@1:03 "Scratch everything that I'm about to say" GM Naroditsky that's going to be a difficult lesson to learn

[@juanb14]

Love your videos, Daniel. As an argentinian myself, didnt know the story. Thanks for sharing

[@dadyasuo8151]

Love how much u extract out of a game! Very inspiring

[@leigh71able]

Thanks Danya

[@roversfan1115]

Does Nf4 at 16:40 work

[@alexf0101]

good stuff

[@discosugar]

THE Chess Professor 🤩

[@f.d.3289]

i really like this anti-hippo setup. what i didn't like about my standard setup is it's symmetry, i felt there needs to be some asymmetry to create dynamics... and the c6/Ne7-f8-g6 seems to be exactly what i was looking for. plus the hint of playing a5 or h5 also makes a ton of sense. one of the most insightful videos because i'm an ideas guy, my brain just can't remember longer lines. but i will feel much more confident going against the next silly hippo.

[@FreeKingZeek]

This content has given me the chess mind. Thank you for opening my eyes to the beauty of this game

[@yosefcohen483]

37:57 "Not all attacking moves are created equally" 🥐🍷

[@SEAKPhotog]

You should do a series of instructive game reviews/analyses called "Story Time with Danya" 😉

[@f.d.3289]

49:50 "... and the game is over, because, er... because it is." Sorry Danya, but the correct formulation is "because I said so". Go Danya!

[@f.d.3289]

just noticed that i seem quite unable to chessify my brain, but i've been doing great at finegoldizing it with which i'm very fine

[@matesenelinsti]

Story time… sooooo great

[@vigneshr8956]

Interesting story.

[@tonyaglioti555]

I love the segue to Soviet and Argentina chess history! Awesome content 👏👏👏

[@moa2487]

Love your videos, ty !!

[@tengu8560]

Love your content Danya ❤

[@JohnsonSmithson]

Play some more catalan. It's great to see the strategy and plans

[@24mahrama]

Daniel you are so substantial for todays chess . You are an eccentric player and it’s incredibly easy to listen to you.

[@rocketpig1914]

Eccentric?

[@ziyad7600]

It's a fun story, keep them coming 👍

[@ericzenk4404]

I like seeing how Danya analyzes positions. e.g., how does material compare with other factors? when should you sacrifice a piece?

[@davidbatchelder85]

great job

[@seeess925]

Yes. This is what I need help with the most. Both colors do this type of opening at me. And sometimes instant move their pieces. It's really annoying. Where to get more info against both colors doing it?

[@tomgebel1128]

It's 7am now, I haven't slept all night I should probably MOM SENSEI DROPPED A NEW SPEEDRUN VIDEO

[@nuismus]

So against 1. D4 do you recommend the Grünfeld or King's Indian defense this speedrun?

[@ptitmaxxx]

Just realized, with his "let's have some fun", that Dany is the Bob Ross of chess.

[@manemobiili]

23:36 So sensei Naroditsky recommends e4 for white due to c-pawn staying in c2, i'm contemplating should i learn more e4 stuff or keep playing 1. d4 🤔

[@douggieharrison6913]

the only thing better than watching Danya crush these annoying ass openings is when he has like 10 seconds on the clock and goes into demon mode

[@edwardwelsch5893]

This speed run has been so good, especially as Danya gets into my range. These are very typical openings and play I'm used to seeing. (Bowdler attack especially)

[@lougaru2445]

"White has been very naughty*: LOL I love it

[@nickmoore5105]

Made my breakfast, got my cup of tea, and look, a new speedrun video. Today is a good day.

[@matteovrizzi]

49:49 "after 0-0, Ke7 and of course Bxe5 and the game is over because uh, because it is." 🎉

[@joshuahenry6511]

Keep up the great videos Daniel 👍👍. Great Speedruns.

[@ShaShaSha534]

15:10 we all wanted it :D

[@rememberme5784]

I don't play chess anymore. But I still watch sensasi danya's videos as they are entertaining. This content is gold.

[@ShanomoBro]

"I won't need this info probably, I hardly play against the Hippo", gets checkmated Turn 16 against Hippo the next day.

[@notNights]

direct counter to chessbrah!

[@JB_inks]

Danya, please could you boost the audio a bit on your next video? My laptop's speakers are struggling :(

[@walterbrownstone8017]

Lol The Hippo is a great trolling opening! You can win a bunch of games just by being big fat slow and strong. Gives your opponent plenty of time to make a silly blunder.

[@ironmaz1]

Vitctimize the b5 pawn !!! ;)

[@chessify518]

That story in the end was one of the best historical story I have ever listened, also engine era destroyed the line calculation which was taken by so many gm together, in today's world no 10 gm sits together and decide to play same line , beacuse they can just sit alone and analyse the line on their own , and chess can't be interesting anymore because we don't have this type of story anymore, is this sad ?

[@onnihuuskonen1250]

Hallelujah my prayers have been answered!

[@asansfakeaccound5466]

It's good to learn a new setup against such openings. I always played samisch with great success, cuz it allows tou to launch imidiate pawnstorm to any area on the board whenever is good moment but got bored of that already.

[@violetsweet1660]

"hopefully we get something more mainstrea..." [1.e3 is on the board]

[@Oldlard]

This is all Eric's fault. It is amazing how much streamers effect the opening "meta". I'll never forgive Aman and Levy for the London.

[@dominykascyras4470]

You got that right about London… Fucking d4

[@Oldlard]

@@dominykascyras4470 I play d4 and go for the sharpest lines. It's not d4's fault!

[@beaut7811]

@@Oldlard all the more reason to blame eric, levy and aman for the london. Just for depriving me of the interesting D4 positions and forcing me to play only against the london

[@FmFpF1992]

As an e4 player as white and a caro player as black I am not a fan of d4 postions. They are just boring to me. I am not saying they are bad, but the grind of players just doing some variation of a "system" opening is not fun. I used to play london lol but fell in love with all things e4.

[@Oldlard]

@@FmFpF1992 what do you play against d4 when you arent facing some tedious system?

[@albertomolina2113]

What % of speedrun games do you upload to youtube?

[@Sun-gs6hq]

33:54

[@modolief]

34:12 "... because, as you guys know, engines are not always very good in closed center positions. They often suggest a strategy of just shuffling your pieces back and forth." Daniel, is this still really true?? I mean: You would know better than me, but nowadays, with all the neural net work that has been done to get a stratospherically good evaluation function, don't the engines just see things from a purely chessic point of view, not the old style engine play?

[@Sun-gs6hq]

30:00

[@XVRMEDIA]

❤❤❤

[@fergs1561]

The Goteborg variation was played on 3 boards, not 2. Spassky - Pilnik was the other game

[@JazzCabbagE7]

Just finished the titled tuesday video great timing

[@abhinavp6568]

Every time I hear the notification of your new video upload, I get goosebumps

[@jeevacation]

At 25:48 what is the counter to when white plays f3?

[@VitoPlaysGames]

You just drop the bishop back, so probably Bd7 or Be6. For white, f3 weakens his kingside and although it's not immediately losing it gives black opportunity to set up more pressure.

[@juangamazo5781]

I've always wanted to know how to proceed when my opponent lets me have the center, and how to set up my pieces. Thanks

[@kantvishi]

25:49 What happens after f3?

[@elwoz101]

I think the g and e pawns are weak and can be attacked. Maybe e4 and if white goes f4 you have an outpost for the knight on g4 hitting e3 with a fork

[@VitoPlaysGames]

You just drop the bishop back, so probably Bd7 or Be6. For white, f3 weakens his kingside and although it's not immediately losing it gives black opportunity to set up more pressure.

[@kantvishi]

@@VitoPlaysGames thanks

[@kantvishi]

@@elwoz101 thank you

[@Eidenhoek]

Hippo's my favorite opening. One: hippos are cute. Two: I just like the *idea* of having all this pent up power waiting to be unleashed. I *think* I like the London for similar reasons. I think.

[@rocketpig1914]

Hippos are big dangerous animals. Don't tickle a hippo

[@Sachitananda]

The Hippo takes all theory out of the game, looks like a kid playing dubious moves.

[@TheWeefuzz]

at the end of the game isn't Nd5 also mate after Ke3? always feels better to checkmate with the Knight for some reason 🤔

[@ashbash9103]

"do not be afraid of the move b4" @agadmator might want to have a word 🤣

[@micahclawrence]

How the hell did they get to the 1500’s

[@tacticalchunder1207]

I don’t know how people get to 1600 playing like this! I’m 1100 blitz now and never come across anyone playing this badly (in the opening at least).

[@endtimerevelations6723]

Daniel still in his 20's. I'm convinced he's gonna be the best player in the world. He took me to 2300...