Formation: Hippopotamus Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
590 games: White 36.9% / Draw 2.9% / Black 60.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 171171 | ||
| 120120 | ||
| 9999 | ||
| 4141 | ||
| 3030 | ||
| 2424 | ||
| 2323 | ||
| 1818 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
−2.84 Black is clearly better
Best play: 7... e4 8. dxe4 dxe4 9. f4 Ne7 10. Ne2 Bg4 11. Bg2 Nf5 12. Qc2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Formation: Hippopotamus Attack (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of Anderssen's Opening, reached after 1. a3 e5 2. b3 d5 3. c3 Nf6 4. d3 Nc6 5. e3 Bd6 6. f3 O-O 7. g3 (7 moves).
In 590 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 36.9%, Black 60.2% and 2.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…e4, in 29% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Formation: Hippopotamus Attack
The most played answer, 7…e4, also scores best for Black: 65.8%, with Black winning 63.7% and White 32.2% of 171 games. Of the main answers, 7…Re8 scores lowest: 55.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…e4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Formation: Hippopotamus Attack (A00)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/formation-hippopotamus-attack