Answers.Body: <p>In my opinion, against these openings, the best strategy is to maintain the tension. Move around your pieces building up threats, and prevent the opponent's pawn breaks. Against these positions usually there is no forced win, but it is very hard to play them because of the cramped position, so your opponent will sooner or later make some mistake, and then his/her position will collapse. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-01-17T09:59:23.997Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-01-17T09:59:23.997Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Usern4me
Answers.Body: <p>The Hippo does not do well against a 3 pawn center.  For example, d4, e4, f4.  Then with Nf3, Bd3 and 0-0 White can play f5 breaking the position.
  Tiger Hillarp Persson wrote a couple books on the Modern defense, where has a chapter on the Hippo.  In the book he warns against using it when White can get 3 pawns in the center and has great explanations.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-09-21T18:01:11.587Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-09-21T18:01:11.587Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ywapom
Answers.Body: <p>Check out this extremely useful video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsMBHySzkC8" rel="nofollow">How to Fight the Hippopotamus Defense</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-02-17T11:16:23.967Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-02-17T11:16:23.967Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Yakiv Kovalskyi
Body: <p>What's the best strategy against the so-called Hippopotamus opening or defense, in which White or Black pushes almost all of her pawns on the 3rd or 6th rank, except perhaps the a and h pawns, and then possibly moves her Knights and Bishops on the 2nd or 7th rank? Would you try a breakthrough with the d or the e Pawns, or something else? </p>
  
Tags: <opening><strategy>
Title: What's the best strategy against the Hippo?
ThreadText: # What's the best strategy against the Hippo?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-19)
  
  What's the best strategy against the so-called Hippopotamus opening or defense, in which White or Black pushes almost all of her pawns on the 3rd or 6th rank, except perhaps the a and h pawns, and then possibly moves her Knights and Bishops on the 2nd or 7th rank? Would you try a breakthrough with the d or the e Pawns, or something else?
  
  **Tags:** opening, strategy
  
  
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  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2016-01-17. Score: 4
  
  In my opinion, against these openings, the best strategy is to maintain the tension. Move around your pieces building up threats, and prevent the opponent's pawn breaks. Against these positions usually there is no forced win, but it is very hard to play them because of the cramped position, so your opponent will sooner or later make some mistake, and then his/her position will collapse.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-09-21. Score: 3
  
  The Hippo does not do well against a 3 pawn center. For example, d4, e4, f4. Then with Nf3, Bd3 and 0-0 White can play f5 breaking the position.
  Tiger Hillarp Persson wrote a couple books on the Modern defense, where has a chapter on the Hippo. In the book he warns against using it when White can get 3 pawns in the center and has great explanations.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_3 on 2016-02-17. Score: 3
  
  Check out this extremely useful video: [How to Fight the Hippopotamus Defense](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsMBHySzkC8)
  
  
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