One other question: suppose you got your FTSH (Full, Thick-Skinned Hippo), and you just played g5 preparing for Ng6. But then W plays h4 attacking that pawn on g5. Do you push or take? (pushing often kick a N, but your King side is being opened up). Thoughts?
Hey Solomon, I'm a big fan of your content. I'm only a 1200, but your hippo videos have really added a fun flavor to my game (and annoyed all my friends to no end XD). I'm interested in buying your hippo course. Do you have any active discount codes?
I'm not rated but I beat stockfish 5 every day with the hippo. So many options. I play with maximum aggression so I don't have 4 main ideas. But I'm working on it.
15:29. Neologism: BAR smate. Smate; an arm and a hammer. Guess which is which. Beside smate there is nyet; checkmate with one piece. Beautiful is the three peice suit; arm hammer, and the disruptor.
i prefer to play center pawns first then h3/a3 to prevent the bishop harassment because using my knight to block sometimes the opponent chooses to take the knight rather than lose a tempo.
Another great Hippo video. I always love it when you get the Full Hippo and get to the "breather" moment and explain plan ideas in different situations.
Wheeze honk!! Hippo fun fact. In 1928 Hubert the Hippo left his home in the St Lucia estuary and over 3 years traveled 1000 miles to the Eastern Cape. Now when I manually castle to h2 I call it the Hubert variation
9:13 Neologistic chess terminology. In my chess thinking the board squares are in five different colors, two literal (black & white) and three metaphorical. If the black peices control a square, regardless of its literal color, I say it is blue. If the white peices control a square, I regard as red. Finally, if a square is equally contested by both sides, I regard it as grey; whoever lands on it first loses in the end. At 9:46, after a white P-a5, b5 is an occupied grey square.
not doing so well on hippo white then i do on black .. keep them coming .. im around 1500-1600 not sure how good that is or not but its after 2000 games of hippo .. thank you for all you do TCG!
I may be wrong but do you really want to make 3 knight moves only to trade it on e5 by the knight on d7, leave your black bishop a weak target and your h2 pawn shaky after qd7?
Been gobbling up your hippo for awhile. Ever since I watched Hikaru do a live stream of nothing but hippo it has become my jam. Your channel has been some of the best content on it. You may have covered this in the past but other than your course is there an essential reading list of books on the hippo, or just chess in general you recommend. I bought one (a book on hippo defense) last year but have not found it as useful as your channel so far.
My go to Bible for the Hippo is The Hippopotamus Defence by Alessio De Santis. Another to look at is The Hippopotamus rises by Andrew Martin. If anyone knows of others please let me know !
Thanks for the kind words, and I'm stoked to hear you are finding the content helpful. Hmmm not sure really on sources as I read a book but didn't get much out of it in all honesty, nor did I agree with the author on a good amount of the theory. Have you watched Hansen's speedruns at all? He has some good games with it. I think he usually plays b6 to start but as you know the Hippo has a bunch of different move orders.
@TheChessGiant I actually recently saw his speed run to 3000 or something using only hippo. It was pretty good. I feel like I can reliably get to similar mid game positions but always blunder something and cannot convert like he does. He made it look so easy.
Solomon, I've heard you say that you like to develop your K side first for safety reasons, but because there are so many B defenses that include the K-side fianchetto, how do you feel about b3 & Bb2 to open as White? And I know that the Hippo player can hold off castling and may not castle at all...but how often do you find yourself castling and why? What triggers that decision? Are you castling to defend the K or to get the rook into the game?
Many thanks for another instructive Hippo video, Solomon! 💪🏿🦛 This is one of my favorite attacking plans and I've trapped several pieces from unwary opponents this way!
Great game and recap video!! We always love having THE Chess Giant at the club! 💪
MY HIPPO DEFENSE COURSE!!! thechessgiant.gumroad.com/l/hippopotamusdefensecourse
The perfect thumbnail for this video.
I agree
One other question: suppose you got your FTSH (Full, Thick-Skinned Hippo), and you just played g5 preparing for Ng6. But then W plays h4 attacking that pawn on g5. Do you push or take? (pushing often kick a N, but your King side is being opened up). Thoughts?
I love it when you show "White Hippo" games! Thanks my man; Loved your course and all of your Hippo videos.
That business early in the video where you discuss what to do again a queen side pawn advance---I found it a worthwhile digression.
Absolutely love these great hippo-themed middle game videos! Bravo!
Hey Solomon, I'm a big fan of your content. I'm only a 1200, but your hippo videos have really added a fun flavor to my game (and annoyed all my friends to no end XD). I'm interested in buying your hippo course. Do you have any active discount codes?
Glad to hear you’re enjoying the videos Jim! And ya just email me at “thechessgiant@gmail.com” - I’ll give you a discount code there thanks!
Lol the thumbnail👌also 14 views, 10 likes. Awesome like/view ratio
Another weapon to add to my hippo arsenal. Thanks Solomon, love this series
Why can't I buy a Hippo shirt yet?
Thanks for making this video
I'm not rated but I beat stockfish 5 every day with the hippo. So many options. I play with maximum aggression so I don't have 4 main ideas. But I'm working on it.
15:29. Neologism: BAR smate. Smate; an arm and a hammer. Guess which is which. Beside smate there is nyet; checkmate with one piece. Beautiful is the three peice suit; arm hammer, and the disruptor.
very nice analyse please if you can focus at advance pawn push 1. e4 - g6 2. Nf-Bg7 3. d4- d6 4. d5
Is the opportunity to take a N and double your opponent's pawns sufficient compensation for giving up a B?
Hey Solomon, I hope you enjoy the Candidates, and thanks for another terrific post.
i prefer to play center pawns first then h3/a3 to prevent the bishop harassment because using my knight to block sometimes the opponent chooses to take the knight rather than lose a tempo.
Another great Hippo video. I always love it when you get the Full Hippo and get to the "breather" moment and explain plan ideas in different situations.
Why dont u play the pirc defense against then continue with the hippo
Wheeze honk!! Hippo fun fact. In 1928 Hubert the Hippo left his home in the St Lucia estuary and over 3 years traveled 1000 miles to the Eastern Cape. Now when I manually castle to h2 I call it the Hubert variation
I like how you teach opening courses
9:13 Neologistic chess terminology. In my chess thinking the board squares are in five different colors, two literal (black & white) and three metaphorical. If the black peices control a square, regardless of its literal color, I say it is blue. If the white peices control a square, I regard as red. Finally, if a square is equally contested by both sides, I regard it as grey; whoever lands on it first loses in the end.
At 9:46, after a white P-a5, b5 is an occupied grey square.
Yes! I would love to see a website that could do this for me.
thanks for your videos. my fear in hippo is leaving the king in the center. How do I handle this
Keep playing. You will get used to it
Love the moves after move 10!
not doing so well on hippo white then i do on black .. keep them coming .. im around 1500-1600 not sure how good that is or not but its after 2000 games of hippo .. thank you for all you do TCG!
Please analyze the candidates tournament
Instead of Nf3, why not Nd2, Nf3 and Ne5 where it is protected by the dark Bishop?
I may be wrong but do you really want to make 3 knight moves only to trade it on e5 by the knight on d7, leave your black bishop a weak target and your h2 pawn shaky after qd7?
waiting for new video
when to castle and when not to in hippo?...sometimes you dont!
This would be a good video! Thanks for this
Solomon where are you? Getting a little worried about ya bro
All is good man. Just needed to take a break as I had a bunch of stuff on my plate. Hope you and yours are well man!
Sup solomon
Been gobbling up your hippo for awhile. Ever since I watched Hikaru do a live stream of nothing but hippo it has become my jam. Your channel has been some of the best content on it. You may have covered this in the past but other than your course is there an essential reading list of books on the hippo, or just chess in general you recommend. I bought one (a book on hippo defense) last year but have not found it as useful as your channel so far.
My go to Bible for the Hippo is The Hippopotamus Defence by Alessio De Santis. Another to look at is The Hippopotamus rises by Andrew Martin. If anyone knows of others please let me know !
Thanks for the kind words, and I'm stoked to hear you are finding the content helpful. Hmmm not sure really on sources as I read a book but didn't get much out of it in all honesty, nor did I agree with the author on a good amount of the theory. Have you watched Hansen's speedruns at all? He has some good games with it. I think he usually plays b6 to start but as you know the Hippo has a bunch of different move orders.
@TheChessGiant I actually recently saw his speed run to 3000 or something using only hippo. It was pretty good. I feel like I can reliably get to similar mid game positions but always blunder something and cannot convert like he does. He made it look so easy.
Solomon, I've heard you say that you like to develop your K side first for safety reasons, but because there are so many B defenses that include the K-side fianchetto, how do you feel about b3 & Bb2 to open as White? And I know that the Hippo player can hold off castling and may not castle at all...but how often do you find yourself castling and why? What triggers that decision? Are you castling to defend the K or to get the rook into the game?
Many thanks for another instructive Hippo video, Solomon! 💪🏿🦛
This is one of my favorite attacking plans and I've trapped several pieces from unwary opponents this way!