Hippopotamus Defense Players... AVOID THESE COMMON MISTAKES!

My HIPPO COURSE: thechessgiant....
Interested in PRIVATE LESSONS? Here's the link! www.thechessgi...
FIRST HIPPOPOTAMUS DEFENSE VIDEO: (with descirption below!) • Chess Openings: Learn ...
Against the best chess openings for white, there are many strong chess openings for black such as the French Defense, Scandinavian Defense, Caro-Kann Defense, Sicilian Defense, Pirc Defense, King's Indian Defense, Slav Defense, Nimzo-Indian Defense, Benko Gambit, etc. However, these chess openings are extremely popular and well known. How can we as black take white out of opening theory, while keeping the chess opening strategy at a high level? In today's video, we cover the Hippopotamus Defense which works against any chess opening played by white including e4, d4, the English Opening, Bird's Opening, King's Indian Attack, etc. The Hippopotamus Defense includes black fianchettoing both bishops, and placing the knights directly in front of the king and queen. The Hippopotamus Defense may seem positional and drawish at first glance. However, I believe the Hippopotamus Defense to be a dangerous chess opening for black or white, as it holds a ton of potential for attacking chess. One advantage of this chess opening is that it doesn't create any weaknesses in the position. In addition, the Hippopotamus Defense is extremely easy to learn, but is still a very good chess opening. Hippopotamus Defense keeps a high level of chess opening strategy, chess opening moves, chess opening theory, chess opening principles, chess opening tricks, chess opening traps, chess opening tips, and chess opening fundamentals. This is a very good chess opening for beginners and intermediate chess players. Chess moves, ideas, principles, strategy, tricks, lines, variations, tactics, secret checkmate strategy, fundamentals, theory, and traps are all important in chess openings, and the Hippopotamus Defense covers them all! The Hippopotamus Defense is one of the best chess openings for black, and best chess openings for white. Whether you are a chess beginner or a grandmaster, we hope you enjoy learning how to play the Hippopotamus Defense!
Join me on Patreon! (Rewards and benefits included!)
/ thechessgiant
Support the Chess Giant Here! paypal.me/thec...
Follow THE CHESS GIANT on social media
Instagram // / thechessgiant
Twitter // / thechessgiant
Facebook // / thechessgiant
Video and channel designs by COASTLAND CREATIVE
Website // www.coastlandc...
Instagram // / coastlandcreative

[@TheChessGiant]

My HIPPO COURSE: thechessgiant.gumroad.com/l/hippopotamusdefensecourse

[@FranciscoTirado-v5v]

I am always scare to castle cause everytime I do I loose haha

[@TheChessGiant]

That's fair! Oftentimes in the hippo it is best if we DON'T castle!

[@michaelallport5816]

Right on the mark, Solomon! IM or not, the player was ill-equipped to play the Hippo. It's a "cold day in hell" when you castle before actualizing your A/H pawns in someway. For me, the the Hippo is incomplete in the traditional form. I don't like to castle until I, at least, until I have. notion how my Queen might be utilized in the early middle game.

[@BobbyFischer0000]

Agreed. That castling instance was asking to be attacked. Not sure why an IM would make such an obvious oversight

[@TheChessGiant]

@@BobbyFischer0000 Part of it was that it was a 1 + 1 game, but at the same time, I think a Hippo player would simply KNOW not to do this, so maybe he just hadn't played the chess opening much yet.

[@TheChessGiant]

Ya castling too early in the hippo defense is disasterous!

[@wraethcs2]

Hey Solomon, always love your Hippo videos. I was wondering if you could make a video on the modern defense, and discuss the tabia you get after 1.e4 g6 2.d4. There are so many different options for black (Bg7, Nf6, d6, c6, d5, c5) and I'd love hear your lines. Either ways, I very much enjoy your content!

[@TheChessGiant]

Hey! I actually made three videos on the Modern Defense recently! I'll post them below! Chess Openings: Learn to Play the Modern Defense! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqa2oKJ5qaaZe9U Chess Openings: Learn to Play the Modern Defense - CRUSHING the 3 Pawns Attack! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJrClWiOjN-Jbqs Chess Openings: Learn to Play the Modern Defense (with ...a6!) kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6ulo3uZjcdgjZo

[@hareldavidson738]

I am glad you used my suggestion and I turned out to be very instructive indeed. The only thing I think was worth mentioning Which I think you didn’t was that the time control was 1+1 which means Lawrence didn’t have much time to think hehe

[@TheChessGiant]

True on the time control!

[@stephencuffel4932]

A year of playing the hippo against strong bots and I hardly ever see humans on this channel play white the way the bots do. I would like to see a video with a few games against the strongest machines Mr. Giant can find. There is one video I found of Kasparov playing the hippo vs. Deep Blue from ages ago that is instructive.

[@TheChessGiant]

I need to go find that game! And I was able to beat the Hikaru bot on chess.com with the Hippo, but still can't beat Magnus!!!

[@watchmanknowledge4345]

Would you happen to have a video on playing the hippo against the hippo?

[@TheChessGiant]

I should make a video on how two Hippos cannot exist together. You can have two half hippos, but ya can't have to fully formed normal looking hippo setups as the bishops would just snatch eachother off.

[@FloatingSunfish]

Many thanks for another great, instructive Hippo video, Solomon! 🦛👑 Indeed, we want to avoid castling too early in the Hippo especially when we have more important moves we can play first (and sometimes, castling is even unnecesssary!). If misused, players will find themselves with a dead Hippo floating in the water before they know it -- but hey, it's all part of the learning process.

[@TheChessGiant]

Yes!!!! Agreed agreed agreed.

[@BobbyFischer0000]

Isn’t one the defining features of the hippo the double fianchetto? Sorry, but is it the move order in which he double fianchetto’s or did I misunderstand?

[@TheChessGiant]

Yes it is! There are some setups where this is a mistake though (mainly dealing with f4/e4/d4 setup). However, this game simply came down to bad play in the middlegame.

[@bigslick75093]

At around 3:30, you talk about how you don't like the Kh7 move. In Ch. 10 of your Hippo Course in the Petrosian vs. Spasky match at 2:30 in the video, you say you "Love" the Kh7 move that Petrosian played. Is it solely due to the Queen and dark square bishop being on the same diagonal that you love it, and since in this current video the Queen/Bisho are not on the same diagonal, that's the only reason your Hate it here?

[@TheChessGiant]

Ya Kh7 is useful for defending h6, but there's other times where Kh7 is simply endangering - and this game is one of those moments. I'm a little cautious when a bishop is aimed at my king as well, although sometimes it is totally okay.

[@skyeruddell3196]

Nice shoutout to Chris, best survivalist in this area!

[@TheChessGiant]

Chris is a stud!

[@elephantheart9988]

Yes!! more Hippo losing videos. As you said it's helpful to see where it goes wrong.

[@TheChessGiant]

Yessir! More losing Hippos on the way!

[@abdelhamidmeriouma8248]

please if you can do video about hippopotamus vs English opning

[@TheChessGiant]

Thanks!

[@lionelbowhunter468]

Hi Solomon, perfect explanations, love them!! Thx a lot :)))

[@TheChessGiant]

Thanks Lionel! Glad you enjoyed it man. Greetings from California!

[@RicardGomes76]

TY GM 👍

[@amiyrlewis153]

Thankxz great video

[@TheChessGiant]

You got it brotha! Thanks for watching.

[@walterbrownstone8017]

Obviously I feel silly being a 1400 level player and telling a titled player how you are supposed to come at the hippo. But I'm going to do it anyways because I want you to become the first to do a FIDE Hippo Speedrun. Here is what I have learned. Any time opponent plays a system opening you attack it immediately. Any time someone fianchettos, you start moving pieces towards the fianchetto. Don't castle until you have messed up the opponent's system opening. I liked the first few moves of white but I would have had a stronger position by move 10. If I was playing against you personally, you would win for sure but on move 10 I would be giving you butterflies.

[@Mowie666]

You aren't even in the hippo by move 10 tho? Not sure I follow.

[@walterbrownstone8017]

@@Mowie666 The Hippo is a system opening. The last time I played it a couple days ago it was the Van't Krujis Opening. It's a system. Bottom line is you threaten system openings immediately they give you the tempo to do so. However, almost all of these videos are against opponents who don't play like this. You know how he did the 20 openings for white? He could literally do a video called 20 openings of the Hippo.

[@michaelallport5816]

A Hippo "speed run" has already been done at chessbrah.

[@walterbrownstone8017]

@@michaelallport5816 Nobody has done a FIDE Hippo Speedrun except Solomon as far as I know. He is NM because he already started the Hippo Speedrun and received the NM title because of it. I'm a huge fan of Solomon. I see he has a huge amount of room up to IM.. I've checked the FIDE database. He's on the Speedrun right now and he's still got some clear sailing ahead..

[@skyeruddell3196]

I'm a huge fan too!