"This section is wholly devoted to new and original ideas as yet in the embrionic stage which can hardly be treated with any pretence to exhaustive accuracy. In what follows, therefore, we shall content ourselves with a general exposition of the positional ideas underlying these novel schemes combined with illustrative examples from the play of those pioneers who are helping to add a further dimension to chess theory." ---Keene and Botterill (written in 1972)
The Hippopotamus is in a way related to the Double Fianchetto, in so far as here too Black deploys his bishops at QN2 (g7) and KN2 (b7). However whereas the Double Fianchetto is an answer, based in a single positional theme (control over the light squares, especially e4), to a specific move-order by White, the Hippopotamus is rather the deferment of any answer, Black develops within his own three ranks of the board, entering into no territorial struggles, according to a fixed plan of development --- --- and various permutations thereof as well as the eccentric J.C. Thompson's book ---that is virtually independent of what White is doing in the meantime. One might characterize Black's play by saying that he proceeds like a man who has never learnt the rule that a pawn may take two steps at his first turn, and indeed the Hippopotamus is reminiscent of some of the old Arabic openings that could be played regardless of the formation the opponent was adopting.
Such strength as the Hippopotamus has derives from the resilience of a cramped but not compromised position, and the dangers White will run of 'trying too hard' and being tempted into a rash advance. As in this game:
15 The Avante Garde
"This section is wholly devoted to new and original ideas as yet in the embrionic stage which can hardly be treated with any pretence to exhaustive accuracy. In what follows, therefore, we shall content ourselves with a general exposition of the positional ideas underlying these novel schemes combined with illustrative examples from the play of those pioneers who are helping to add a further dimension to chess theory." ---Keene and Botterill (written in 1972)
1. The Double Fianchetto Defense
Ardiansyah vs Larsen 1970
Garcia Larsen 1970
Darga vs Keene 1971
2. The Hippopotamus
The Hippopotamus is in a way related to the Double Fianchetto, in so far as here too Black deploys his bishops at QN2 (g7) and KN2 (b7). However whereas the Double Fianchetto is an answer, based in a single positional theme (control over the light squares, especially e4), to a specific move-order by White, the Hippopotamus is rather the deferment of any answer, Black develops within his own three ranks of the board, entering into no territorial struggles, according to a fixed plan of development --- --- and various permutations thereof as well as the eccentric J.C. Thompson's book ---that is virtually independent of what White is doing in the meantime. One might characterize Black's play by saying that he proceeds like a man who has never learnt the rule that a pawn may take two steps at his first turn, and indeed the Hippopotamus is reminiscent of some of the old Arabic openings that could be played regardless of the formation the opponent was adopting.
Such strength as the Hippopotamus has derives from the resilience of a cramped but not compromised position, and the dangers White will run of 'trying too hard' and being tempted into a rash advance. As in this game:
Barczay vs Ivkov
Petrosian vs Spassky
a) Petrosian vs Spassky
b) Shamkovich vs Ujtelky
c) Simagin vs Ujtelky
d) Hennings vs Uhlmann
e) Unzicker vs Petrosian
f) Faibisovich vs Chepukaitis
[Event ""]
[Site ""]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round ""]
[White "Faibisovich"]
[Black "Chepukaitis"]
[Result "="]
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c3 d6 4.Bc4 Nd7 5.Bf4 e6 6.Nf3 Ne7 7.e5 c5 8.O-O O-O 9.Kh1 cxd4 10.cxd4 Nb6 11.Bd3 Bd7 12.Nc3 Bc6 1/2
3. ...P-QR3
Zuidema vs Kotov
Bednarski vs Ivkov
Keres vs Navarovszky
Shamkovich vs Ivkov
Scholl vs Keene
Czerniak vs Szabo
Zaitsev vs Adamski
4. Creeping Round the Edges
Zinn vs Suttles
Rivise Suttles
Rosseto Day**
Kluger vs Ujtelky
5. Call It What You Like
Filipowicz vs Ujtelky
Smyslov vs Simagin
Malich vs Minic
Final Example
Pomar Salamanca vs Petrosian
Filip vs Suttles
Pomar Salamanca vs Szabo
Shakmatny vs Kholmov**
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