Book Description

Chess players have long dreamed of a winning strategy for black. Previous strategies have produced mostly losses for black. It is unrealistic for black to expect to begin winning more using the white strategy of 'control the center and win the endgame.' It is time for a more effective approach. -------Part One introduces the reader to Alexander the Great, Hannibal of Carthage, and King Leonidas of Sparta. Each of these leaders defeated an army which controlled the center and possessed superior numbers. The same strategy has been successfully applied to the black side of the chess board by a handful of Grandmasters. ---------The Black Strategy illuminates the way forward. This strategy has been referred to as the Hippopotamus Defense. The reason is that, like the Hippo, the Black position develops into something which appears slow and lethargic. However, once it engages with White forces, it is like a combination of behemoth and leviathan. White inevitably will send some pieces to the Black side of the board where they will get tangled up and eliminated. Eventually, the Black juggernaut will grind the White player into submission. ------------The Hippo is quite fierce once it engages with opponents. It is not easily handled and it causes a lot of confusion for White players who have extremely limited experience with it.---------Part Two draws inspiration from the works of Sun Tzu (The Art of War) and Miyamoto Musashi (The Book of Five Rings). Sun Tzu (Chinese general, military strategist, and philosopher) wrote the original Art of War 2500 years ago. It is the definitive work on military strategy and tactics. Musashi was undefeated in over 60 duels. The Book of Five Rings is the ultimate guide to one-on-one dueling with an eye towards total victory. -----------The knowledge from these two books is synthesized and applied to the game of chess. The reader is introduced to a new way of analyzing the situations which arise on the chess board, and responding forcefully with accurate moves.