Answers.Body: <p>This set up is often called &quot;The Hippo&quot;, a possible reason is that bishops look like the eyes of a hippopotamus.</p>
  <p>For example: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdAthyBbN7c" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Eric Rosen: Don't Mess With The Hippo</a></p>
  
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Answers.Text: The phrase "Hippopotamus Defence" goes back over 50 years. I don't know about your eyes etymology. Seems reasonable, but it also strikes me as maybe a folk etymology. I always thought it was because hippos lie low in the water, and the defense lies low in the first 3 ranks.
Answers.UserDisplayName: John Coleman
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Answers.Text: "I had mate in 2, but hungry hippo."  
Answers.UserDisplayName: Greg Schmit
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Answers.Text: @JohnColeman, good point.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Akavall
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Answers.Text: @JohnColeman If you squint your eyes just right and let your imagination do the rest, you can see a hippo lying in the water with the eyes [just above water level](https://i.imgur.com/q8HBGJZ.png).
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mast
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Answers.Text: @Mast That made me smile. On the other hand, maybe the person who first thought of the name "Hippopotamus Defence" was a fan of the light verse of Hilaire Belloc: "I shoot the hippopotamus with bullets made of platinum, since if I had used leaden ones, his hide would surely flatten 'em." As more than one White player has discovered, it can be a tough nut to crack.
Answers.UserDisplayName: John Coleman
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Answers.Text: @JohnColeman: It resists book analysis as there are nearly as many variants of hippopotamus as there are the rest of the openings combined. It's not good, but it's not bad either so it can't be pushed over easily.
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Akavall
Answers.Body: <p>The setup after b3+Bb2 or g3+Bg2 (or on Black's side b6+Bb7, g6+Bg7)
  is called a fianchetto <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fianchetto" rel="noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fianchetto</a>.
  Doing this on both Kingside and Queenside is thus called a &quot;double fianchetto&quot;;
  I don't think there's a more specific name than that.</p>
  
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Answers.Body: <p>1.b3 is Nimzo-Larsen attack. You can check with Lichess database.</p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: JC14
Answers.Body: <p>1.b3 is called Larsen's opening, while 1.g3 is Benko's opening. They are examples of openings that are collectively called modern or hypermodern.</p>
  <p>If you have doubts about opening names, I think the easiest thing to do is play them on a chess engine. Usually the engine will then tell you what is the corresponding name of the opening.</p>
  
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Body: <p>You start by moving the knight's pawn on either side to b3 or g3. Then you do the same on the other side. Ideally, you fianchetto the bishops into both triangle pawn formations.</p>
  <pre><code> [FEN &quot;&quot;]
  
  1. b3 null 2. g3 null 3. Bb2 null 4. Bg2
  </code></pre>
  <p>I tried to use it as Black, but I am still struggling to make it into a strong defense, as it appears to be rather a powerful offensive opening. This opening seems to be gaining popularity at least for White, but I struggle to find information about it on the Internet.</p>
  
Tags: <opening><pawns><terminology><bishops>
Title: What is the name of this unconventional opening?
ThreadText: # What is the name of this unconventional opening?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2021-03-06)
  
  You start by moving the knight's pawn on either side to b3 or g3. Then you do the same on the other side. Ideally, you fianchetto the bishops into both triangle pawn formations.
  
  ```
   [FEN ""]
  
  1. b3 null 2. g3 null 3. Bb2 null 4. Bg2
  
  ```
  
  I tried to use it as Black, but I am still struggling to make it into a strong defense, as it appears to be rather a powerful offensive opening. This opening seems to be gaining popularity at least for White, but I struggle to find information about it on the Internet.
  
  **Tags:** opening, pawns, terminology, bishops
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2021-03-07. Score: 11
  
  This set up is often called "The Hippo", a possible reason is that bishops look like the eyes of a hippopotamus.
  
  For example: [Eric Rosen: Don't Mess With The Hippo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdAthyBbN7c)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: The phrase "Hippopotamus Defence" goes back over 50 years. I don't know about your eyes etymology. Seems reasonable, but it also strikes me as maybe a folk etymology. I always thought it was because hippos lie low in the water, and the defense lies low in the first 3 ranks.  
  > **username_3**: "I had mate in 2, but hungry hippo."    
  > **username_1**: @username_2, good point.  
  > **username_4**: @username_2 If you squint your eyes just right and let your imagination do the rest, you can see a hippo lying in the water with the eyes [just above water level](https://i.imgur.com/q8HBGJZ.png).  
  > **username_2**: @username_4 That made me smile. On the other hand, maybe the person who first thought of the name "Hippopotamus Defence" was a fan of the light verse of Hilaire Belloc: "I shoot the hippopotamus with bullets made of platinum, since if I had used leaden ones, his hide would surely flatten 'em." As more than one White player has discovered, it can be a tough nut to crack.  
  > **username_5**: @username_2: It resists book analysis as there are nearly as many variants of hippopotamus as there are the rest of the openings combined. It's not good, but it's not bad either so it can't be pushed over easily.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2021-03-06. Score: 7
  
  The setup after b3+Bb2 or g3+Bg2 (or on Black's side b6+Bb7, g6+Bg7)
  is called a fianchetto <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fianchetto>.
  Doing this on both Kingside and Queenside is thus called a "double fianchetto";
  I don't think there's a more specific name than that.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2021-03-06. Score: 2
  
  1.b3 is Nimzo-Larsen attack. You can check with Lichess database.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_8 on 2021-03-06. Score: 1
  
  1.b3 is called Larsen's opening, while 1.g3 is Benko's opening. They are examples of openings that are collectively called modern or hypermodern.
  
  If you have doubts about opening names, I think the easiest thing to do is play them on a chess engine. Usually the engine will then tell you what is the corresponding name of the opening.
  
  
  ---
  
  