I work on a ship with no wifi/internet. So i downloaded pretty much all your hippo videoes before i went out now, and it has been my main entertainment for the last 4 weeks! Now i`m getting home soon and hopefully will have a blast playing this in my chess club🙂 Really like your videos, thanks for all the learning you are putting out!
Thanks for the stacked bishop tip-very useful 2:11-note the complete "loadup" by. white on the occupied b5 square. Attacked by four pieces(bishop. queen, knight and pawn). This a perfect example why I completely agree with your "slow burn" approach in the opening. Keep 'em coming!
Just learning this now. With any new opening I usually just work slow to familiarize myself with the foundation and then experiment with more aggressive variations to see which create better opportunities for my playstyle.
Really like the way you explain your preferences, and how you remind folks that it's ok to have their own. You can follow good principles and still have your own style.
Absolutely excellent. This is the type of critical info that keeps the Hippo interesting to those of us how have maxed out. If I can get the various middle game ideas (how many could there be?) then I can shift focus to the typical Hippo endgames (of which I suspect there are thousands...)
That pawn push looking like that and the rook pawn right where its at on either side of the board is excellent but either way your doing it for the reason that the king is down there or for the attack on queen side with the pieces to follow and i do not see blacks attack plan at all to do this ,matter of fact you just told white something a whole lot and like you said if thats the way they want to work go out but this is no plan❤😊
Thanks Solomon! Would you ever consider doing a Rapid speed run using only the hippo as B and W? Like 5 min. (not Blitz) games starting at a lower ELO and working your way up? I feel kind of stupid asking, but when you are explaining a game that was played and go into all the other possible variations I get a little lost considering the game being played.
@@Aquabomba - I saw that one too with Eric, but it was 3 minute blitz. Would love to see the Chess Giant do it in rapid format. Love his explanations 😄👍
Machines I play almost always induce - force, really - black d5, by pushing their rook pawn to a5. White creates this weakness with tempo. (Taking the white rook pawn is a terrible idea.) White's push c4, which may or may not be delivered depending on play elsewhere, can be defended against, but it's a real pain and if mishandled is instant disaster. Maybe the worst weakness of the hippo, in my experience.
Good video. Personally, in the given middle game, I’d prefer the f5 break over c5 to go after the white kingside & keep black’s central pawns intact. Even if did decide to break queenside, would’ve preened with Rc8 so that after dxc, Nxc5 & BxN Black can play Rxc5 & play down the open c file (even though Black drops his d pawn). But the actual game continuation is interesting as Black gets good counter play despite dropping his d pawn. Have a nagging feeling White could have (somewhere) played the middle tactics better, & avoided getting so quickly crushed. Early on White’s a3 seems way too passive. Indeed, White seemed to have no attack planned & he lost time playing Nf3-Nh2 to get in f4 when he could have just played f4 first before playing Nf3. Still Black’s Kh7 seemed unnecessary too. Black’s a6/b5 thrust has some point as it prevents the more aggressive Bc4 tho sometimes it’s even better to allow Bc4 & then play b5 gaining a tempo by kicking the bishop & (after Bb7) threatening b4 attacking Nc3 & winning white e pawn. All & all unless White first 3 moves are e4/d4/Nc3, I defer the a6/b5 until either white castles queenside, or Black gains tempos kicking pieces, or Black has no better way of getting his light-squared bishop & his queenside rook into the game. Very interesting game! Thxs!
SOLOMON, AS ONE OF YOUR FANS AND CUSTOMERS, THIS IS THE EXACT SPECIFIC TYPE OF VIDEO I'VE NEEDED, AND BEEN WAITING FOR! PLEASE DO MAKE MORE OF THEM ON THIS THEME. THANKS, PAL, ... MIKE.
Ahmad AlKhatib, Jordanian Chess Grand Master, I know him personally, I will show him the video, I am a bit surprised because he is a kings indian defense player.
Many thanks for another instructive Hippo video, Solomon! 💪🏿🦛 This one was an absolute massacre! Just goes to show how quickly the game can turn south once the Hippo smells blood in the water.
MY HIPPO COURSE!!! thechessgiant.gumroad.com/l/hippopotamusdefensecourse
Hello There!
Here is is GM Ahmad (Black Player)!
Thanks for the video! Really like the idea of f5!?
if I knew it, would played it!
I work on a ship with no wifi/internet. So i downloaded pretty much all your hippo videoes before i went out now, and it has been my main entertainment for the last 4 weeks! Now i`m getting home soon and hopefully will have a blast playing this in my chess club🙂 Really like your videos, thanks for all the learning you are putting out!
That is so sick man. Thanks for telling me that. Let's play some games on chess .com sometime! What is your username?
@@TheChessGiantUsername: ionlyplayforfun. That would have been awsome! Though i would take a serious beating😅 Fallen all the way down to 1430 now
@@TheChessGiant i ionlyplayforfun is the username! That would be awesome😀👍🏻 Though you would crush me😅 Fallen under 1500 now..
Thanks for the stacked bishop tip-very useful
2:11-note the complete "loadup" by. white on the occupied b5 square. Attacked by four pieces(bishop. queen, knight and pawn). This a perfect example why I completely agree with your "slow burn" approach in the opening.
Keep 'em coming!
Still working on my hippo, the middle game is where I fall apart.
The middle game is where my clock falls apart
Yes, here end of middle game is a problem too and often the opponent castles king side, not queen`s side.
@@pfiffigstesshabby1722 you mean queen side!?
I stopped playing it, because it is not a winning defeat.
Just learning this now. With any new opening I usually just work slow to familiarize myself with the foundation and then experiment with more aggressive variations to see which create better opportunities for my playstyle.
Really like the way you explain your preferences, and how you remind folks that it's ok to have their own.
You can follow good principles and still have your own style.
Pushing an early b5 has caused me nothing but problems.
I bought your course and never miss a video. Commenting for the a-rythm.
Good stuff. TH-cam is full of openings, but middlegame theory or ideas are quite rare.
Thanks for that brotha! Glad you liked it!
Can you make a video about the Botvinnik English opening please!😊
Absolutely excellent. This is the type of critical info that keeps the Hippo interesting to those of us how have maxed out. If I can get the various middle game ideas (how many could there be?) then I can shift focus to the typical Hippo endgames (of which I suspect there are thousands...)
Thank you sir.
You got it brotha! More Hippo Defense content on the way!
I love the hippo!! Thanks solomon!!!
Love the thumbnail image!
Haha thanks! At this point we are just trying to come up with new ideas lol on where to put a Hippo
That pawn push looking like that and the rook pawn right where its at on either side of the board is excellent but either way your doing it for the reason that the king is down there or for the attack on queen side with the pieces to follow and i do not see blacks attack plan at all to do this ,matter of fact you just told white something a whole lot and like you said if thats the way they want to work go out but this is no plan❤😊
Love it!
🦛🦛🙏🏼🙏🏼
I love that thumbnail, lol!
More new ideas to use
Ideas never hurt in the game of chess!
MY PREFERENCE IS TO GET THE MORE CONSERVATIVE FULL SET UP BEFORE STRING OUT. I HAVE MISSED THE BOAT IN COUNTERING A WHITE EARLY ATTACK HOWEVER?
Thanks Solomon! Would you ever consider doing a Rapid speed run using only the hippo as B and W? Like 5 min. (not Blitz) games starting at a lower ELO and working your way up? I feel kind of stupid asking, but when you are explaining a game that was played and go into all the other possible variations I get a little lost considering the game being played.
There is a hippo speedrun already out there (by chessbrah) but I would HIGHLY appreciate a speedrun done by the Chess Giant himself! 🙂👍🏻
@@Aquabomba - I saw that one too with Eric, but it was 3 minute blitz. Would love to see the Chess Giant do it in rapid format. Love his explanations 😄👍
Hippo is great easy setup
Never tried pushing b5 maybe I'll give it a chance I always like to play something new different gambit or line
slowly develop
That is exactly right!
Machines I play almost always induce - force, really - black d5, by pushing their rook pawn to a5. White creates this weakness with tempo. (Taking the white rook pawn is a terrible idea.) White's push c4, which may or may not be delivered depending on play elsewhere, can be defended against, but it's a real pain and if mishandled is instant disaster. Maybe the worst weakness of the hippo, in my experience.
That should read "induce black b5", the move disliked by Mr. Giant.
Good video. Personally, in the given middle game, I’d prefer the f5 break over c5 to go after the white kingside & keep black’s central pawns intact. Even if did decide to break queenside, would’ve preened with Rc8 so that after dxc, Nxc5 & BxN Black can play Rxc5 & play down the open c file (even though Black drops his d pawn). But the actual game continuation is interesting as Black gets good counter play despite dropping his d pawn. Have a nagging feeling White could have (somewhere) played the middle tactics better, & avoided getting so quickly crushed. Early on White’s a3 seems way too passive. Indeed, White seemed to have no attack planned & he lost time playing Nf3-Nh2 to get in f4 when he could have just played f4 first before playing Nf3. Still Black’s Kh7 seemed unnecessary too. Black’s a6/b5 thrust has some point as it prevents the more aggressive Bc4 tho sometimes it’s even better to allow Bc4 & then play b5 gaining a tempo by kicking the bishop & (after Bb7) threatening b4 attacking Nc3 & winning white e pawn. All & all unless White first 3 moves are e4/d4/Nc3, I defer the a6/b5 until either white castles queenside, or Black gains tempos kicking pieces, or Black has no better way of getting his light-squared bishop & his queenside rook into the game. Very interesting game! Thxs!
Good video
I don't play the Hippo, mainly because I don't understand it. This video is very helpful.
Glad you found this one helpful Dennis!
SOLOMON, AS ONE OF YOUR FANS AND CUSTOMERS, THIS IS THE EXACT SPECIFIC TYPE OF VIDEO I'VE NEEDED, AND BEEN WAITING FOR! PLEASE DO MAKE MORE OF THEM ON THIS THEME. THANKS, PAL, ... MIKE.
i analyzed my games in opening tree. Results are 80% of my loss is when they castle queen side
Ahmad AlKhatib, Jordanian Chess Grand Master, I know him personally, I will show him the video, I am a bit surprised because he is a kings indian defense player.
Author slowly turns into a hippo
😂😂🙏🏼🙏🏼
Dude ur hands r tripping me out! Great lesson though but ur hands! They look like they r talking about chess & ur head is agreeing!
Hahaha
Many thanks for another instructive Hippo video, Solomon! 💪🏿🦛
This one was an absolute massacre!
Just goes to show how quickly the game can turn south once the Hippo smells blood in the water.
Sometimes the Hippo slowly overtakes, and sometimes the Hippo takes the opponent down before they even realize it!