Formation: Hippopotamus Attack

Welcome to the Hippopotamus Attack. Your opponent has spent seven straight moves pushing pawns — a3 , b3 , c3 , d3 , e3 , f3 , and g3 . That's every single move used on pawn advances, and not a single piece has been developed. This is an unusual and provocative opening, and it gives you a golden opportunity.

Look at what you've built while White was pushing pawns. You have knights actively placed on c6 and f6 , a strong bishop on d6 , a powerful pawn center on d5 and e5 , and your king is safely castled on g8 . Meanwhile, every single White piece is still sitting on its starting square. You are miles ahead in development.

The most powerful move here is e4 ! This pawn thrust strikes right at the heart of White's fragile pawn chain. The key principle is simple: when your opponent is behind in development, open the position. Cracks in the structure will be impossible to defend without any pieces out.

After fxe4 , you recapture with dxe4 . White tries to push d4 to challenge your center. But notice: your pawn on e4 is a powerful advanced pawn cramping White's position, and the d4 square is now a critical battleground.

Here is the key move: Ne7 ! This knight is rerouting to the fantastic f5 square. It looks like a retreat, but it's actually the strongest plan. From f5 , the knight will pressure the weak e3 and g3 pawns and dominate the center.

After White fianchettoes with Bg2 , your knight lands on f5 . This is a dream square. The knight attacks both the e3 and g3 pawns simultaneously, and White's pawn chain is full of holes. No White pawn can ever kick this knight away — it's a permanent outpost.

Now a critical warning. It is very tempting to grab the free pawn on a3 with Bxa3 . After all, it looks like a free pawn. But this is a serious blunder! Your dark-squared bishop is worth far more than that pawn, and you're about to see why.

White simply recaptures with Nxa3 , and now you have traded your powerful dark-squared bishop for a single pawn. White actually develops a knight with tempo, and suddenly the position swings in White's favor. The a3 pawn is bait — never fall for it.

Here's another trap to avoid. After e4 and fxe4 , it's tempting to jump in aggressively with Ng4 , targeting the weak e3 pawn. But this is too hasty and actually hands White the advantage.

White responds with d4 , and suddenly it's White who seizes the center. The knight on g4 is offside with nowhere useful to go, and White's pawn center starts rolling forward. Instead of Ng4 , always remember the correct recapture is dxe4 , keeping your structure solid.

If you prefer a slower approach, there's an excellent alternative plan. Develop with Be6 , then Qd7 , and after White plays Bg2 and Ne2 , you slide your bishop to h3 ! This trades off White's fianchettoed bishop, weakening the light squares around White's king and making it harder for White to ever castle safely.

To summarize your game plan against the Hippopotamus: play e4 immediately to blow open the center while White has no pieces developed. Recapture with dxe4 , not Ng4 . Reroute your knight via Ne7 to the powerful f5 square. Never grab the poisoned pawn on a3 with your bishop. And if you want a quieter approach, Be6 , Qd7 , and Bh3 is a strong alternative that targets White's light squares. You have a huge lead in development — use it by opening the position and creating threats White cannot handle.