The Hippo System: A Universal

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THE HIPPO SYSTEM
Third Edition A UNIVERSAL OPENING
SYSTEM FOR WHITE & BLACK
Copyright 2018, Eric BRIFFOZ Cover Design: DANNY Media
ERIC BRIFFOZ
From the same author
- “Le Système HIPPO - Une Ouverture Universelle” , soon available.
- “The Hippo System” (3rd Edition) , available on Amazon.
- “Easy guide to the Hippo Attack & Defense” (1st Edition), Currently not
available.
- “Play the Hippo Attack & Defense” (2nd Edition), available on Amazon.

QR Code :

CONTENTS
Table of Content
About this Third Edition
How to use this book
Main strategic features of the Hippo
TheHippoSystemasWhite
TheHippoSystemasBlack
Experience in the Modern Defence
Bibliography
Index of the Players
Table of content
From the same author
........................................................................................................................................ 2
CONTENTS................................................................................................................................................
3
Table of content
.................................................................................................................................................. 4
Acknowledgments
.............................................................................................................................................. 7
CHAPTER 1 :
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 8
About this Third Edition ...
............................................................................................................................... 8
About the Hippo and about this book
........................................................................................................... 10
HOW TO USE THIS
BOOK..................................................................................................................................... 12
Why should we take the Hippo Seriously ? Why isn’t the Hippo yet “fashionable”
?............................. 13
World Class Hippo
Practitioners...................................................................................................................... 17
A brief Time line history of the Hippopotamus System
............................................................................................19
Main Strategic Features of the Hippo
System ............................................................................................... 21
Point 1 : The Hyper-Mordernism & Nimzowitch
Ideas ............................................................................. 21
Point 2 : The X-rays bishops
..................................................................................................................... 22
Point 3 : Concept of provocation..............................................................................................................
23
Point 4 : Hidden potential energy............................................................................................................
24
Point 5 : Pawn Mobility and flexibility principles
...................................................................................................... 25
Point 6 : The castling and King problematic
................................................................................................................... 26
Point 7 : Psychological point of view........................................................................................................
28
Point 8 : Usage of the f and c files............................................................................................................
29
Point 9 : How to counter the famous Austrian Attack?
.......................................................................................... 30
Point 10 : Is the System too passive ? The art of defense.......................................................................
31
Point 11 : The obsession of activism........................................................................................................
32
Is the hippo a Universal System for Black & White? .......
33
Just a bit of IT. Why chess engines don’t like the hippo.
............................................................................ 35
About Alpha Zero
project............................................................................................................................. 35 The
computer unsolvable position… ........................................................................................................... 36
About Alpha-Zero and the Pseudo “Artificial Intelligence Chess
revolution” ......................................... 38

CHAPTER 2: The Hippo System as WHITE ...........................................

39
CHAPTER 2, PART 1: Black plays Classical center e5 –
d5 ......................................................................... 40
Game #1: GM Tiger Hillarp Persson Vs. GM Smith Axel (Fide 2505) - 2008.
.......................................... 40
Game #2: GM Nakamura, Hi (2704) vs. GM Khenkin, I.
(2647) ................................................................. 51
Game #3: GM. Pavel Blatny (2475) – GM. Jan Votava , 26 July 2006
(CZE) ..............................................56
Game #4: GM Kamsky G. - GM Grischuk A. Sport Accord Blitz, 16 December 2012
............................... 63
Game #5 : GM Pavel Blatny (2475) - B. Heberla (2389) , 16/02/2003
.................................................... 76
Game #6 : IM. Fries-Nielsen, Jens Ove (2385) - GM. Hickl, Joerg (2500), 1988 Bundesliga
................... 82
Game #7 : IM Gerard Welling - J Dubbeldam, Corr NL/M
(1991) ..............................................................87
Game #8 : GM Movsziszian, K (2487) – GM Malinin, V (2280), World Senior 2014,
GRE ........................ 92
Game #9 : E. Briffoz (2125) – S. Balestra (1937), lichess.org – April 2017
.............................................. 97
Game #10 : E. Briffoz (2125) – Kkarppov (1928) – Internet Lichess, May 07
2017 ............................... 101

CHAPTER 2, PART 2: Black plays e6 – d5

center ....................................................................................... 105
Game #11 : IM. Ilya Odessky – GM. A. Rustemov, Moskow 1997........................................................
105
Game #12: GM. A. Nimzowitsch – GM. A. Rubinstein, Berlin
1928 ....................................................... 111
Game #13: GM. Jon Speelman - E. Briffoz, World Cup Brussels (Clock Simul, 1989)
........................... 117
Game #14: E. Briffoz (2125) - Silentgwh (1928, Belarus) - Internet Lichess, June 5 2017
.................... 123
CHAPTER 2, PART 3: Black plays e5 – d5 –
c5 ........................................................................................... 125
Game #15: IM Fries Nielsen, Jens Ove – Hansen, Mads Smith, Denmark
(1988) .................................. 125
Game #16: FM Feustel Bernd (2375) – GM Pfleger Helmut (2500) , Bundesliga
1981 ......................... 128
Game #17: Vasova, M (1910) – Maksimovic, S (2223) BUL Open 2013 ..............................................
133
CHAPTER 2, PART 4: Black plays the e5 – d5 – f5
Center ......................................................................... 137
Game #18: GM Viesturs Meijers –GM Tanguy Ringoir, Stuttgart 19/05/2007...................................
137
Game #19: Jacobsen B. (2274) – Hartung-Nielsen J (2224) Denmark Championship, 18/11/2000...
141

CHAPTER 3: The Hippo System as

BLACK ......................................................................................................... 144
CHAPTER 3, PART 1: White plays Classical center e4 – d4
........................................................................ 145
Game #20: IM R. Nezhmetdinov - IM Maximilian Ujtelky , Chigorin Memorial (1964)
....................... 145
Game #21: GM Tigran Petrosian - GM Boris Spassky, World Championship (16 May
1966) ............... 155
Game #22: GM Joseph Gallagher - GM Ruslan Ponomariov, Biel SUI
(2000) ........................................ 161

Game #23: IM Sanchez Almeyra Jorge (2440) - Campos Hernandez Antonio (2178), Malgrat de
Mar,
1998.........................................................................................................................................................
165

Game #24: WGM Goreskul A (2228) - GM Kislinksky A (2472) ; Ukr Championship 2010
................... 170
Game #25: GM J. Shaw - IM A. Martin - British League
(2004) ..............................................................174
Game #26: GM Nigel Short - GM Garry Kasparov (Leuven Blitz Match,
2011) ...................................... 179
Game #27: GM Karpov Anatoly - GM Zhu Chen , FIDE GP Dubai UAE rd 2 Apr-04-2002
..................... 185
Game #28: GM Magnus Carlsen - GM Gata Kamsky , World Blitz Moscow 27 November
2007 ......... 190
Game #29: Macovei (2352) – Danielian (2451) , 31st of July 2017 .......................................................
193
Game #30: GM Emms J. - GM Williams S. 2009....................................................................................
199
CHAPTER 3, PART 2: White plays e4 – d4 –
c4 ............................................................................................. 205
Game #31: GM Tigran Petrosian - GM Boris Spassky, World Championshop , 12 May
1966 .............. 205
Game #32: IM Dolezal Radoslav (2299) - Novotny Jiri (2307), Ch. Czech Republic Plzen,
1999 ........... 213
Game #33: GM Alexander Baburin - GM Tony Miles , Birmingham 24 September
2000 .................... 216
Game #34: Ernerock (2066) - E. Briffoz (2125) - Internet, Lichess (29 May
2017)................................ 222

CHAPTER 3, PART 3: White plays e4 – d4 and f4 The Austrian

attack ...................................................... 225
Game #35: IM Cuartas Carlos - GM Boris Spassky , Lugano
1982 .......................................................... 225
Game #36: GM John Van der Wiel - FM Bernd Feustel
......................................................................... 231
Game #37: IM Mortensen , E (2471) - GM Krasenkow Michal (2593)
.................................................. 236
Game #38: GM Kogan A. - GM Spassky B. B. Corsica Open, 1997.....................................................
238

CHAPTER 4: Experience in the Modern

defense .............................................................................................. 245

Game #39: De Gueldre Philippe (Fide 2200) - Briffoz Eric (Lichess 2125), Rapid Tournament ,
Liège July
2002.........................................................................................................................................................
245

Game #40: Lieutenant G. (2100) - Briffoz E, Tournoi d’été , Liège CRELEL July 2002.
......................... 250
BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................................................................................................................
256
INDEX OF THE PLAYERS (Alphabetic order)
................................................................................................... 257
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
...................................................................................................................................... 259
PROFESSIONAL
INQUIERIES ........................................................................................................................ 259
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge the following, all of whom were significant in
the creation of this new 3rd Edition :
- To IM Andrew Martin and GM Tiger Hillarp, who both opened the doors to
the Universe of this System. Thank you both.
- To Master and Author Carsten Hansen for his great ideas and generous
support for this project. Thank you Carsten.
- Every open-minded chess players and Scientists, from Grand Master level to
Beginners (each GM has been a beginner…), who also believe in alternative
systems.
- My wife and my 3 daughters for the support , and patience during the long
months needed to prepare this book, and especially for this third Edition. I
Love you all.
- Lisa and Jimmy for hosting us in such a beautiful and inspirational place
during the redaction of the first embryo of this work. Wish you were here.
- The people from CreateSpace for their invaluable help to create this project.
- The people at Chess.com, especially from the great “def Hippo” Club, of
which I am a proud member: https://www.chess.com/club/def-hippo
- My parents and family who always supported my various Chess adventures.

-Jean-Louis Marchand, who opened doors of his fantastic chess library in

Brussels and Paris. The Belgian and French world of chess would not be the
same without you. “Un endroit où on peut prendre son temps…”

http://www.marchand.be .
To Lou Reed (and VU) , whose inspirational music has accompanied me
throughout this project.

CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION
About this Third Edition ...
Welcome and thank you for purchasing this very unusual Chess opening
book about a highly uncommon chess opening system! Compared with the
second edition, 7 additional included games have been thoroughly analyzed
and explained, and revisions has been done throughout the book. Compared
with the first edition, we have 10 additional games. Digging into my lost
archives, I have found one very special game which was played in 2002, that
I have analyzed with Stockfish, who confirmed that it was a truly astonishing
game where “the only winning move” was played multiple times. You will
find this special game of which I’m proud of, at the very end of this book
(game 40).

While I am writing these lines in my Word Document, the World of Chess is

facing tremendous changes, as well as amazing challenges to cope with ever-
growing amount of books and theories, most of which are computer
processed. More and more (should I say all?) top-level competition games are
being compared with computer assisted analyses... Also Google has
advertised quite a lot about its Alpha Zero project, and we will briefly express
our views about this software.

Of course, the effect of this tendency is thatthe human creativity is less and
less considered as something important. Unfortunately I must say.

Some of the past champions already foresaw some of these changes, and have
tried to find some solutions to save chess from such an exponential evolution
of its opening theory, which goes usually as far as the 15th or 20th move.

Considering the game of Chess as it is now, the opening system presented in

this book is an attempt to rapidly deviate from these established theories, to
lead the game as fast as possible to some positions where theory no longer
exists, and where creativity becomes more important.
Another way to escape from this Everest mountain of theory is found in some
of the Chess Variants, for example the Fischer Random , also known as
Chess 960 (which stands for 960 possible initial positions).
If we ever meet online, you will not be surprised to see that some of my
games are 960. Not that I don’t believe in Chess as it is anymore (I wouldn’t
be writing this book !). Rather because it brings me some of the best
refreshment, as I feel like playing chess and thinking directly from move one
!

Such an awesome feeling I can assure you all !!

Thanks to the great success of the first two editions, I was encouraged to go
ahead and continue to explain this truly amazing chess System, and so
additional Grandmaster games have been added to the glorious history of the
Hippo such that this book now contains a full package of 40 games
explained.

May I wish the readers to further contribute to this Hippo history, and follow
the steps of the great Masters games which will are presented. I am #Hippo,
and there is a chance that you are or that you will become as well… I feel like
being part of that very unique and special family.

Chess continues to evolve, especially opening theory. So will the hippo, and
you dear reader might perhaps be a part of this history as well, whenever you
will be either on the board or playing this system on the internet. I want this
project to be open, and so I do welcome request to be possibly included in
further works.

The Hippo is a technically sound system, and requires a lot a creative

thinking at the same time.
Could the former go without the latest ? I don’t think so.

With the Hippo System, you indeed hardly know what your opponent’s third
or fourth move will be… and neither does he ! Thinking and understanding
from the very beginning is mandatory (similarly to Chess 960). Theory and
preparations prove to become somehow obsolete and not relevant anymore!
A dream come true for all players out there who want to focus more on the
middle-game or endgame of chess.
What a relief. What a new fresh view about Chess !
Welcome to the awesome amazing world of the Hippo, I can guarantee you
will not regret your journey !
I certainly don’t…

About the Hippo and about this book

Many chess players have only a limited amount of time to study the chess
openings in great details. Being myself in the same situation (one wife, 3
daughters, one dog, and one day job ) is the main reason why I wanted to find
a universal, flexible and creative repertoire, without too much theory.

This book is not really a repertoire book. This book is about ideas on an
opening system which can be applied both with White and Black. This
system has received its seal of approval thanks to usage by some of the top
International Grand masters (and World Champions!), with both colors.

The fact that the hippo avoids direct confrontation with the opponent’s army
also means that continuations are not as forcing as they are in other openings.
In short, and as will be detailed in the book, the great flexibility of the system
allows the one endorsing it to play without having to learn a lot of variations,
like in most other openings.

Since this system is very rarely used (no book existed yet about the hippo
attack before this one), this also means that there are plenty of new
discoveries to be found in the future. It can be used both as a surprise
weapon, or as a main opening choice.

Yhe hippo is mostly using transpositions (towards other well knows types of
openings), it seemed impossible to create a real table of variations. Therefore,
don’t look for it. Because this book is not about learning variations, this book
is about ideas that will enable the reader to play the hippo, by learning the
typical types of middle games, the typical opening strategies, and the various
pawn structures.

This book is very middle-game based, because with the Hippo, we have a
typical opening setup, which allows the player to enter the middle game
phase without having to worry about remembering theoretical moves.

With the Hippo, unlike most of the other openings, the Understanding of each
Position and the Strategies is far more important than theoretical knowledge !

Basically, the hippo player develops all his minor pieces mostly on the 2nd
row (but also sometimes on the 3rd row) and places most of its pawns on the
3rd row. According to the opponent choices, he/she will then react and
counter-attack accordingly, releasing the Hippo hidden powers at the right
time.
A typical basic set-up of the Hippo looks like the diagram below.
I want to make it very clear that the hippo is actually a much broader system
than just this particular example of setup. Basically, there are times when the
Bishop c8 will want to go the g4 instead of b7, or when the Queen knight will
want to go to c6 instead of d7, just to give 2 examples.

In other words, you do not have to reproduce exactly and certainly not
automatically the same setup. It is very important to know that the Hippo is
also very closely related to the Modern Defense. Hence a Chapter 4 will open
the road towards that opening.

We believe that the hippo is one of the most flexible existing opening system
in chess, in which the imagination can still take over computerized theories.

“I believe few players have ever taken the Hippo

seriously, but I intend to show this point of view to be
mistaken.
There is nothing wrong with the Hippopotamus!”
Tiger Hillarp Persson (“The Modern Tiger”)
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
I did not want to overload the reader with excessive variations of moves
without providing enough textual explanations. I tried to write this book in a
user-friendly format, with a sufficient number of diagrams so that it can be
read easily.

I must confess that even thoughI do read a lot of Chess books, my preference
goes to books which can be read and understood even when I don’t need to
have a chess board at my disposal.

It is supposed to be an easy study guide, allowing the reader to grasp the

important strategic and technical ideas behind this important but very rare
system. It has also been written so that the ideas and the plans behind the
moves are emphasized and explained.

The reader is advised to play through all the analyzed games completely,
until he or she familiarizes with the typical Hippo positions, tactics and
strategies.

It is also very important to practice the opening as much as possible, for

example on the internet (blitz games or correspondence games...), or in
training games over the board. Myself, I did practice this opening a lot by
playing blitz or other rated games on the Internet. And so you will find that
some of the games analyzed in this book are extracted from these
experiences.

While analyzing the selected games from this book, I did not want to leave
any human uncertainty. Therefore, (almost) all moves and variations have
been verified by Stockfish8 64 bits, currently the best engine in the world
rated 3484 ahead of Houdini and Komodo. And by the way, it’s an Open
Source engine as well! But of course, the reader may have their own ideas
which can differ from the author’s.
Because in Chess like in life, there is no such thing as “a single truth”.

Why should we take the Hippo Seriously ?

Why isn’t the Hippo yet “fashionable” ?

Is chess all about memorizing the theories of variations until the 20th move
and beyond? If you think so, then this book is perhaps not for you.

Frequently, someone find a new move in the most fashionable opening,

sometimes happening as far as move 25, which might make your favorite
opening book outdated. And perhaps, this new theoretical move (which might
be elected “Most important novelty of the month” by the Informator) was
found, tested and analyzed with the help of the most advanced chess
software.

We are in 2017, experiencing more than ever the rise of IT Artificial

Intelligence all over the planet.
This movement is increasing and will never stop: any knowledge is available
in the palm of your hands, the second after it happened.

Garry Kasparov won (and then lost) a match versus IBM Deep Blue in 1996.
This event was considered as the victory of the machine against the human
brain. However later human versus machines contests proved that humans
could still defeat the strongest programmed chess software.

It would be utopia to try to fight against an artificial intelligence (basically a

software system learning by itself), only by using pure calculation logic.
Kasparov explains this very well in his latest book “Deep Thinking”.

Human brains make mistakes when they calculate, and of course computer
software never fail at calculation, at least when the software is built without
known or unknown bug.

So, is the human brain nothing more than a pure calculating machine? Chess
is moving, like it or not, more and more towards computerized type of chess.
Champions are overusing chess software and Databases to prepare their
opening theory. And this evolution will increase, the same way robotics and
artificial intelligence will increase in other nonrelated fields.
In that respect, we must ask ourselves the question about what we aim for,
regarding the future of chess.

I personally believe that chess should be developed towards the following

directions:

- Towards the creativity of the human minds

- Towards the intuition of the human minds
- Towards the new strategies that a human mind can generate
- Towards the competitive aspects between human brains.
- Towards faster competitions (Blitz and Rapid Chess), which can produce
high quality chess while making Chess more accessible to the public and
fans.

“Chess for me is 1% of calculation, maybe even less, and 99% Intuition.

For Computers, it’s exactly the opposite.”
Gary Kasparov.

We can certainly ask ourselves the following questions:

Why isn’t this system popular ?

And why is there currently only a limited amount books available about this
system (and for Black only, the best known book is written by the then
prolific author IM Andrew Martin) ?

After consideration, I came up with the following possible explanation,

which I don’t consider to be the truth. However, it is an attempt to understand
the current facts….
Why this system is not yet very popular ?
I currently consider the following possible reasons why it may not be played
more often:

why it may not be played more often: It

has a very bad reputation (especially from the
classical theory point of view: for example, Tarrasch, Reuben Fine and many
other writers consider this opening as very poor and possibly losing!)
Mind you, they also thought the same about the now fully respected Modern
defense, and even worse about the Owen defense.
Let us suppose we are asking contemporary players what they think about
3…Qd6 Scandinavian, and compare with what older books said about this
move (if it was even mentioned!). Now we all know that 3…Qd6 (the system
introduced into practice by IGM David Bronstein) is considered as the main
line of the classical Scandinavian.
Scandinavian.

The lack of regularly played games by top class GM (probably somehow

related to the previous point). Like the Alekhine defense or the Owen
defense, which used to be rarely played, the Hippo is currently played only
from time to time by Grand masters, and mostly as a surprise weapon. The
fact is that nowadays, both the Alekhine or the Owen are not surprising
weapons anymore.

weapons anymore. Rememberthat chess openings are mostly a matter of fashion

these days. This means that maybe one day in the future the Hippopotamus
system as well might be considered as good as the Modern or the King’s
Indian, nobody can predict the fashions to arise in the future of Chess.
predict the fashions to arise in the future of Chess.

The fear of the famous “Austrian Attack”. We shall analyze how to counter
this attack with the Hippo, when analyzing the games from Chapter 3, Part 3.
Good defensive skills and strategies can overcome the Austrian Attack.
Good defensive skills and strategies can overcome the Austrian Attack.

The fact that it seems to be extremely passive. I emphasize the word “seems”
as I believe this is mainly an appearance.
On the contrary, the System contains an amazing amount of packed energy
which, once liberated, will usually do so with tremendous power on the
board.
which, once liberated, will usually do so with tremendous power on the board.

The fact that very strong defensive skills are required, which is not to every
chess player’s taste.
We can for sure name many books which are related to Chess Attack. Books
about Chess Defensive skills are at least as important, and yet we cannot find
so many of them. I encourage the readers who want to enrich their defensive
skills to analyse the games of GM’s Tigran Petrosian. For example, the book
“how to DEFEND in chess” written by IM Colin Crouch (edited by New In
Chess) is highly recommended and is mainly focussed on analysing defensive
skills in games of World Champions Petrosian and Lasker.

World Class Hippo Practitioners

Many negative things are being written on the internet about this opening.
Possibly these persons believe that the setup is too passive and do almost
nothing to control the center. Of course, we know that hyper-modern chess is
also about controlling the central squares, but by other means than only with
pawns!

For those who may still doubt about the validity and solidity of this system,
please consider that all these very famous players (and World Champions!)
have successfully played the hippo system against World Class opponents.
This is a quite interesting pedigree for the Hippo system.

- IGM Boris Spassky: World Champion from 1966 until 1972, he played the
Hippo defense twice during his World Championship Match in 66, and later
as well in tournaments.

Not less than 4 Spassky games are included and analysed in this work. If
Ujtelky was Martin’s heroe, Spassky is mine in this book.

- IGM Gary Kasparov: Former World Champion. He is considered as one

of the best Chess player in Chess History. Gary drew his game against Nigel
Short using the Hippo defense (Game #26).

- IGM Gata Kamsky: Being 5 times US Champion is already enough to

make him a Star among the Stars! But Gata Kamsky became also Vice-FIDE
World Champion in 1996. Unfortunately for him, he faced a tremendous
Anatoly Karpov in Russia.

Kamsky is also the Winner of the Chess World Cup 2007.

That year of 2007 was definitively a “Grand Cru” for Mister Kamsky, who
did beat the World Champion Magnus Carlsen with the Hippo Setup. He did
also play the same setup successfully against GM Grischuk (See Players
Index).
- IGM Ruslan Ponomariov : He is the youngest FIDE World Champion in
history.

Ruslan became World Champion when he was only 18 years old, in 2002 by
beating Vassily Ivanchuk.
Analyzed in the book is a game where he beat an English Grand Master by
using the Hippo defense.

- IGM Aaron Nimzowitsch: His name shines like a diamond in the History
of Chess. Nimzo beats top GM Rubinstein in game 11. It seems that, in the
1920’s, he is the one who actually invented the hippo system at least at high
level. Should we rename the Hippo System to the Nimzo System ? Well,
that’s another story…

- IGM Nakamura Hikaru: In the top 5 of the World. An artist on the board.
In game #2, Hikaru beats IGM Igor Khenkin with the Hippo.
- IGM Tony Miles: The man who beat Karpov with 1…a6 and my chess
hero. His game with the Hippo will be analyzed in game #25.
- IGM Krasenkow, Michal : A former member of the +2700 Elo limited
club, a winner a many major tournaments, and winner of multiple “Best
Game” awards.
- IGM Jon Speelman Former #4 in the World, and former World Champion
Candidate. See his game #12 against me.
- IGM Tiger Hillarp Persson: Swedish IGM, which is a famous World
expert in the Modern defense, and writer of the excellent book “Tiger’s
Modern”.
- IGM Pavel Blatny: The Czech Grand Master plays the hippo system
regularly with success and is considered as an expert in the 1.e3 opening.

The list could be longer, but these alone include so many top GM’s, that is
should be more than sufficient to provide to the system a full evidence of its
viability, and give the Hippo system a major stamp of approval.

It is no surprise that you will find complete analyzed games from all these
players in this book.

A brief Time line history of the Hippopotamus System

The 1920’s : Nimzowitsch and the hypermodern revolution

Back in 1928, that is 90 years ago, the great IGM Aaron Nimzowitsch played
some games with the double fianchetto with white, reaching the same type of
setup, that is with pawns on e3, d3, b3 and g3. One of his most famous game
with the hippo is analyzed in game 11 of this book, in which he beats the
great Akiba Rubinstein.

The 1950’s : Maximilian Ujtelky

This opening as we know it, was later popularized by the Slovak International
Master Maximillian Ujtelky (20 April 1915, Hungary – 12 December 1979),
who played it many times, and against very strong opposition players
(Spassky, Nezhmetdinov…) during that period.

Basically, Ujtelky was provoking his opponents to the extreme and was
waiting for them to have a nervous breakdown”. Amatzai Avni

Probably, the best known classical battle of the Hippo is the one presented in
game #17, and it will show you the typical aspects of the opening system. He
was opposed to the great Rashid Nezhmetdinov, for those who have never
heard of him, one of the most dangerous combination player, ever...

The 1960’s : Boris Spassky

The history of the hippo continued, and IGM Boris Spassky was opposed
with the white pieces to Ujtelky, in 1964 during the Chigorin Memorial.
Spassky won that game, but this game was a turning point for him, because
he was so much impressed by the flexibility of the system. From that day on,
he started to investigate the opening in great detail (that is, as a future World
Champion), and especially with the objective to prepare his 1966 World
Championship match versus Tigran Petrosian.

Boris Spassky played the hippo twice successfully against the then World
Champion Tigran Petrosian, during the 1966 World Championship match,
both games ended with a draw, as Petrosian was not able to break down the
fortress. Since that moment, the Hippo became more respected by the World
Elite, and the next decades saw famous Grand Masters use it from time to
time as a surprise weapon.

The 1970’s : Fischer Random Chess

In 1972, the great Bobby Fischer, who celebrated his World Championship
title on the very day that I was born, said that the rules of chess should be
changed because of theory evolution. By the way, also World Champion
Capablanca anticipated such a situation. Capablanca wanted to merge 2
boards side by side. To avoid theoretical knowledge, the great Bobby
invented the Fischer Random Chess, which avoids completely any
theoretical knowledge. During that period of time also, chess professionals
started to investigate new possible openings…

Somehow, doesn’t the Hippo simulate a bit the random pieces that Fischer
imagined when creating Fischer Random? Basically the Hippo player also
wants to change the initial position of his pieces behind the pawn chain...

Current time, and future evolution

I believe that in the near future, Fischer Random will become more popular
than it is already now. However, I also believe that the Classical Chess as it
exists since it was initially created will always remain alive. Because chess
itself is unlimited…. I refer again to Kasparov book “Deep Thinking” to
understand why.

Chess is still currently facing the problem of a huge amount of opening

theory moves and millions of games available in the palm of our hands.
Therefore, the authors believe that the Hippo is certainly an opening
worthwhile investigating in the future!

Main Strategic Features of the Hippo System

I found out that the following 11 Strategic Features are reflecting the
Hippopotamus System quite well.
Therefore, the following points are key areas well worth studying and
understanding in order to make progress in this particular opening, and also
in chess in general.
Point 1 : The Hyper-Mordernism & Nimzowitch Ideas
Everybody knows what hypermodern chess means, so I will not go into great
details, as this is not the scope of this book.

Basically, the hypermodern school teaches us at that it is possible to

develop by using indirect control of the center, instead of control by the
pawns which is characteristic of the classical school.

This means that the hypermodern tries to control and focus on the central area
of the board with distant pieces, using quite often fianchetto’s for the bishops.

I encourage every chess player who never studied Nimzowitsch’s

Masterpiece “My System” to read it. I must admit that I still return to this
Masterpiece once in a while with great pleasure!

Many top players consider “My System” to be one of the most instructive
chess book ever written in the entire history of chess literature.

It is a well-known fact that My System had a tremendous influence on the 8th

World Champion Tigran Petrosian, and probably on Anatoly Karpov as well,
through the concepts of overprotection and .

Point 2 : The X-rays bishops

The Hippo somehow combines the benefits of the Owen defense (1… b6),
together with the benefits of the Modern defense (1…g6).
While the Owen focuses on mainly controlling the central white squares d5
and e4, the Modern seeks to control the black ones on e5 and d4…
In the hippo this means that the full center of the board will be under control,
meaning that the Bg7 and the Bb7 will act like X-Rays on the most important
section of the board.

The strength of the 2 fianchetto bishops will be seen very frequently in the
games of the book, like in the following diagram which is extracted from a
game where both bishops became extremely active and powerful:
This is just one of many examples that you will find in this book. A key idea
of the Hippo is give maximum energy to the bishops, which are initially
placed on both greatest diagonal of the board.

Point 3 : Concept of provocation

One of the ideas of hypermodern chess is to wait for the opponent to

overreach (overextend) and then counter-attack. While overreaching, the
hope is that the opponent center will become weaker.

These ideas are also typical of defense systems like the Alekhine defense, the
Modern defense, the Pirc defense, the East-Indian defense, and the Owen
defense, to name just a few. And as you know, our system combines the
concepts of the Owen together with the concepts of the Modern. If you want
to read more about the concept of overextension, there is an interesting book
written by Cyrus Lakdawala called “The Alekhine defense – Move by
Move”.

The result is that you find yourself potentially threatening or winning one of
the center pawn during the middle game or even in the endgame. This will be
seen in some of the following games, like in this diagram extracted from
game 14, where black had a beautiful center made of pawns c5, d5 and e5,
but nothing remains from it:

There will be
many examples in this book where the Hippo player gets the upper hand in
controlling the centre.
Point 4 : Hidden potential energy
The concept of hidden potential is extremely important in this opening.
All hippo forces remain hidden and avoid direct opening contact behind the 3
first rows, and at the right moment they will be released, with strong power.
Think about a very tight elastic behind the first 3 rows, which is ready to be
released at any moment and on any side of the board.

In the following diagram which is extracted from game 30, we can witness
the tremendous activity of absolutely all the hippo player’s pieces. The
hidden potential energy was released, in the hands of Boris Spassky:

In the hippo, you seemingly leave the initiative to your opponent by playing a
seemingly passive setup. But beware the tremendous power that is hidden
behind the first 3 rows of the board. Another example which comes to my
mind is the game between Kogan and Spassky. In that game #38, we will see
this effect with dramatic consequences for the younger GM.

Point 5 : Pawn Mobility and flexibility principles

The following quote is one that I extracted from My System, because I do not
think anybody else can explain this principle as well as him:

“Positional play is a fight between mobility (of the mass of pawns) on one
side, and the tendencies to handicap these on the other side…. (…). It is very
important to search for the greatest possible mobility of the pawn mass,
because expansionism of a mass of pawns can have a struggling effect”.

Aaron Nimzowitsch

This is probably the most important quote to understand , when learning

about the Hippo Strategies. Think about an elastic capabilities.
Depending upon the opponent strategy, the hippo player will often launch a
counter attack either on the side with b, c or f, g pawns, or in the center with
e or d pawns.

As Nimzowitsch theory teaches us, e4 might be much stronger when played

later in the game rather than at the first move. This will prove to be true in a
lot of the following games, as in the following diagram (from game #2)
where white played d4 on the 15th move, and it came with a central
domination.

Point 6 : The castling and King problematic

It happens that the hippo player will delay castling favouring light pieces
development, and may sometimes even not castle at all, when the king might
be safer left in the center. As a matter of fact, there are no real rules in this
opening. Most of the theory books teach you exactly which rules you should
follow, and that’s fine. But this book is telling you exactly the opposite.
Be free to choose whatever your instinct and mind will guide you towards.
As you will see when playing over these games, sometimes the Hippo player
never castles at all, and this is very safe.
This is the case in game #7, where GM Movsziszian played 15. Ke2!

In game #25, Gata Kamsky chooses not to castle so that Carlsen’s King side
pawn storm became ineffective.
In game #38, Boris Spassky brilliantly removes all poison out from his
opponent’s position by calmly playing Ke8 to d7: kind of Rock’n’Roll and
very effective ! Other times, he or she has to castle as quickly as possible
otherwise a debacle will occur.
Especially study game #16 between Feustel Bernd and Pfleger Helmut,
where the hippo player was not careful about this golden rule!
And finally, here is another diagram taken from game #32, where black
decided to castle on the queen-side on the 13th move making white’s queen
look totally ineffective:

Point 7 : Psychological point of view

It is impossible not to mention this important aspect. How not to be shocked
when your opponent gets out of the main paths of the respected theory as
quickly as this.

How not to get worried about not knowing how to react correctly. Or how not
to become overconfident against such a “weird” and very rare system. Read
the current literature about the hippo on the internet, and you will witness so
many negative comments about it. Never mind, this book proves that the
hippo is very much safe and worth investigating.

In the following diagram extracted from game #35, white was overconfident
when launching a very quick kingside attack, with the queen to h4, and
pawns on g4 and f4.

However, Spassky reacted accordingly on the center of the board, pushed f5

at the right moment, and achieved a very comfortable position, where white’s
attack was completely aborted, as can be seen from the following diagram:

Point 8 : Usage of the f and c files.

Quite often, black will react on the side by opening either the f or the c files
(or even both), which are made possible by the very nature of the hippo
(thanks to the knights developed on the 2nd line). CJS Purdy once wrote that
the quality of an opening can be judged by the rooks’ possibilities to become
active quickly.
With any opening played, this rule should be respected as much as possible.
The following diagram, extracted from game #8 shows a killing activity from
the rook on the f file, where white was able to play the tactical pseudo-
sacrifice Nxf7!

Point 9 :
How to counter the famous Austrian Attack?
“An Austrian Attack setup by white aiming to push f5 seems almost crushing
against the hippo. Crude, but effective. » (Unknown).

A lot of writings claim that the Austrian attack can destroy the hippo setup. It
may be a dangerous system, however there are good ways to counter this
attack, if properly conducted. The same applies to the Austrian attack versus
the Modern defense.
Successful examples of how to react against the Austrian attack can be found
in Chapter 3 – Part 3.
Against the Austrian attack, when white has played Bd3, the f4-f5 push can
become effective. That is the reason why it is best to delay the pure hippo by
leaving the Bishop on the c8-h3 diagonal for a while, such that the f5 push
will not be easy. So, after 1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 e6!? 5. Nf3 Ne7
6. Bd3! black should play either 6...0-0 ,6...a6! or 6...Nc6!? and not 6...b6?
directly.

GM Krasenkow is one of the world leading expert for Black in the 1. d4 g6 2.

e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 e6!? line. As you will see in his, he allowed the f4-f5
push but it still was not decisive, and reached a position where the Austrian
attack never got dangerous.

The same can be said about Boris Spassky, who was able to annihilate his
opponent’s quick f4-f5 push in perfect manner (in game #38).

Point 10 : Is
the System too passive ? The art of defense

Since the huge majority of the players are by far either e4, d4, c4 or Nf3
players, this system may indeed seem amazingly passive to them. This is
usually not the truth. However, effective strong defensive skills are also
needed in chess and perhaps more in this system than in any other defenses.
The art of defense is a truly important concept in chess and some nice books
have been written about it. (see Bibliography).

In the diagram below, extracted from game #31, Black just played the strong
defensive move Nf8!, in order to protect the h squares. After a successful
defense, black went on to win.

Point 11 :
The obsession of activism
The following point is one of the key point of Nimzowitsch “My System”,
which is mostly not followed by some players, even sometimes by some
Masters themselves. In the hippo system, perhaps more than in any other
system, the player must be ready to be very patient, moving the pieces
around to prepare for a counter-attack, or to prepare for defense in a certain
area of the board.

This is a small but very interesting extract from My System:

“(the activist player…) shall ignore all the other moves, quiet moves or
moves in view of reorganizing its pieces. The positional moves in most of the
cases are not moves of defense neither moves of attack. They are, from my
conception, moves which aim to magisterially assure the position…”.

This diagram (extracted from game #1) perfectly illustrates this idea, where
white just played 15.Qb1! followed soon by Qa2!
Is the hippo a Universal System for Black & White?
I was searching for some material about the hippo as white on the always
evolving internet chess material. Could a defense, one move in advance
possibly be worse than the defense itself?

For example, is there anyone who believes that the 1.b3 opening is worse
than the Owen defense ? At worst, it could be roughly equivalent, white
being one move ahead. Therefore, a few players thought that a hippo system
might be playable as white as well, and they proved successful in practice, as
we shall see in Chapter 2.
Nothing concrete really exist yet formally described in any book. Just a few
pages, here and there lost on some internet forums. The big question is why
not?

Most of chess players like to play 1.e4 (the best first move according to
Bobby Fischer, the same person who invented Fischer Random…) or 1.d4 ,
1.c4 and 1.Nf3. And that’s about it, for the huge majority of world players.
Because people believe what they are being taught and told since centuries.

Some other people like to go out of the main roads and like offbeat openings
like: 1.f4 (The Bird), 1.b3 (Nimzo-Larsen), 1.g3 (the Benko), 1.b4 (the
Sokolsky) , 1.Nc3 (the Dunst) or even 1.g4 (the Basman).

I have read a book about a universal system where white plays 1. Nc3 and as
black 1. Nc6 against any white move, a book written by Blitz Master Tim
Sawyer. I really enjoyed the idea and practiced this system with great success
on the internet.

All these offbeat openings all playable in blitz or in rapid chess. I particularly
enjoy playing the Bird or Larsen’s b3, sometimes 1.b4, or even Basman move
1. g4 in blitz on the internet, for their surprising value. Very recently, Magnus
Carlsen has even played the Bird opening 1.f4 (specifically the Leningrad
system) in high competition, and won with it.

Let people think whatever they want about 1.g4 and how bad it is supposed to
be. However, let me remind these people, that in 2005 Anatoly Karpov was
requested to play 1. g4 against IGM Polgar, because Mister Gorbatchev
played Anatoly’s first move. And Karpov won with Basman’s 1.g4! So, what
is theoretically a best opening move? Until a certain extremely high GM
level, there are many openings which can be used to reach a correct and
playable middle game.

Furthermore, games are almost never decided in the opening stage of the
game. More often in the middle game and extremely often in the endgame.

David Bronstein sometimes used to think very long before playing his first
moves, because he wanted to create something new, every time he was sitting
on the board and even in the very first moves.
Remember that Bronstein invented totally new opening systems, which were
at the time considered very doubtful: for example 1. e4 – d5 2. exd5 – Qxd5
3. Nc3 – Qd6 !? in the Scandinavian defense. At that time, it was not
considered playable at all. The comments on this game from Bronstein
himself in “A sorcerer’s apprentice” are highly instructive.

But this Qd6 is nowadays considered by many Grand Masters, as the main
line of the Scandinavian defense and so many books are available on this
defense that I think it should be called the Bronstein defense… he would
definitely deserve it.

Chess is not only a mathematical science, but also an art developed by two
human minds.
Like a Painter in front of a blank canvas, or like a Pianist sitting at his
piano, a Chess Master also wants to create an unforgettable Masterpiece.

I think as Chess Players, we also should create, invent, and use our
imagination and intuition, instead of following main line theories until the
20th and more move.

Just a bit of IT. Why chess engines don’t like the hippo.
About Alpha Zero project
I wish to just introduce in this page, just enough knowledge about computer
sciences, in order to understand how chess software engines are designed.
If you are not interested, you may skip and safely go to the following chapter.

The main thing any computer is doing (how powerful its processor and
software might be) is to execute some algorithms using their processor with
the help of a database (or multiple). The chess algorithms are different from
engine to engine of course. These software were analyzed and then
programmed by some IT specialists.

These algorithms are relying upon a huge database of millions of available

games played in history, and they may even learn by themselves based on
their own results using what we call Artificial intelligence. This means that
when they fail, the software will record why and when they did a mistake,
and the following time, they will never do it again.
Soon these engines will be helped by quantum processors (meaning a lot
faster calculations).

Let’s down to the lowest level of decision of any computer processor and at
the lowest level of data contained in the laptop you are using. You will find
nothing but 0 and 1’s (true or false) in the hardware, even within Quantum
Computers. True of False operations tree repeated millions of times per
second.

The chess algorithms are building a huge tree by calculating every possible
branch with these true or false decisions. And then, calculate which is
supposed to be the best branch.

When you open Alexander Kotov book “Think like a grand Master” at
almost any page, it really feels like it contains a lot of useful information to
build a chess algorithm. By the way, Botvinnik was also a pioneer in
developing and research for chess algorithms.

The total number of moves in chess is infinite. According to some scientists

and Kasparov, it does contain 120 zeros. This would be equal to the number
of seconds since…. the Universe was created, if a big bang really happened.

Any software, in the opening phase of any chess game, is first, only
relying on the opening theory and games that were provided by human
brains.

The huge majority of the chess players is relying on the knowledge they
received from opening theory books or from evolving theory by
grandmasters. Theory is relying on games played by GM’s or from software
programs.
Artificial intelligence in chess is nothing more than hugely artificially fed
human intelligence powered by extremely powerful computers which
should never fail at calculation process.

On the other side the human brain is mostly deciding based on intuition and
a bit of calculation.
Now comes another question. What is the goal of chess.
Is it really to memorize a huge number of moves in your head, which anyhow
will never surpass the software / human knowledge?

Like this (pseudo-code):

If he plays (this that I remember)
then

I recall that the book/games/software told me to do this.

So I will do this.
Else
I will try to think by myself (but: the computer still knows or will calculate
….)
End If.

The computer unsolvable position…

Recent discoveries show that certain chess positions can be immediately
resolved (within only a few seconds) by any human brain (because of
intuition or pattern recognition), while the latest strongest computer based
chess software are totally unable to solve the position, even when we allow
them countless hours of calculation time.

Any software thinks the following position is won for black.

Yet, any chess player knows that it is not won for black, almost instantly, by
using pattern recognition and intuition.

The key of this position is that white simply has to first move his knight c3
away (to d5 or e4 or d1) and then move his king around (and nothing else!)
and black will NEVER be able to win.
The c6 pawn is blocking the complete black possibilities to liberate enough
material to allow mating white’s lonely king! Also, of course cxb5 and bxa4
instantly win for black, we see and know this instantly.
Maybe someday, faster, stronger quantum computers will perhaps be able to
solve this kind of unsolvable type of position. Or maybe not. And then, other
types of unsolvable solutions will be found by humans.

The key is that the human creativity and intuition will alwayslead the
movement of artificial intelligence. These human abilities will always be the
key of the uniqueness of mankind.

Its power for creativity, its consciousness, and its intuition. No scientist can
define or explain exactly how and why the human consciousness is working.
A human brain is capable of solving some tasks in a second, whereas any
computer would take hours of computation.

About Alpha-Zero and the Pseudo “Artificial

Intelligence Chess revolution”
A whole book would be needed to detail the concepts behind the algorithms
produced by Google’s software company.
Google has made a lot of marketing behind the scenes, and the headlines
immediately stated that StockFisch was crushed by this new chess artificially
intelligent software. The end of an era. The end of an era, according to the
headlines…

In short, the truth is that Alpha Zero was running on million dollars Google
linked CPU’s, while his opponent, StockFisch was running on the equivalent
of my laptop’s CPU !

Although I really love my current Laptop, we cannot compare Apples and

Oranges… I really would like to see a real match where both machines would
be playing on equivalent hardware.

As a conclusion I can say the following:

As an IT professional analyst/developer I can safely say that Google did

build some interesting software.
But as an IT Scientist, I can safely question on the results of the
experiments which are certainly not sufficient to make any kind of
possible conclusions.

CHAPTER 2: The Hippo System as WHITE

A significant number of Grand Masters have used the Hippo as white. Grand
Master Hillarp Persson from Sweden, who wrote the very famous book “The
Modern Tiger” will be the first example in this book. But note also the great
Legend Aaron Nimzowitsch, which provided the first stamp of approval as
white to the system, as early as in 1928.

In this chapter, we will analyze, explain the strategies and tactics behind
Grand Masters, International Masters high level games, step by step.
We will categorize the games in the following way, depending on the
opponent’s central approach:

- Chapter 2, Part 1: Black plays the classical center e5-

d5:
By far the most common reaction from the hippo opponent.

- Chapter 2, Part 2: Black plays the e6 and d5 system

- Chapter 2, Part 3: Black plays the e5 – d5 and c5
center.
CHAPTER 2, PART 1: Black plays Classical center e5 –
d5
Game #1: GM Tiger Hillarp Persson Vs. GM Smith Axel (Fide 2505) -
2008.

Tiger Hillarp Persson is one of the top IGM practionner of the modern
defense, which is of course closely related with the hippo. His opponent,
Axel Smith is a very strong young GM from Sweden.

The following game is a rare andtrue Hippo system played by a GM as white,

and is a hugely instructive game in order to understand the main strategic
ideas which are hidden behind the Hippopotamus opening.

We are going to analyze this game between two Grandmasters, each of which
will be playing their own style: Hypermodern versus Classical…
1. g3 – Nf6 2. Bg2 – d5 3. d3 – e5 4. Nf3
Nothing new until now. The position looks like a Reversed Pirc, or a King’s
Indian Attack, and could even lead towards a Réti.

White could as well already avoid Nf3 and choose for a3 or Nc3, in order to
get the opponent out of their comfort zone. For Example, let us suppose a3
played now, fully in the spirit of a reversed Modern defense. The position
would look as follows: But there are so many other possibilities. Never forget
that Chess, like life is always a matter a personal choice. For example, you
might try Nd2, c3, e3, h3….

New discoveries are there, waiting to be found, and to be tried.

But now, let’s go back to the game.
4… Nc6 5. 0-0 – Be7 6. a3 – a5

Black wants to prevent the advance b4, which would provide white a space
edge on the queen side, as well as threat against the Nc6.
7. Nc3!?

A very typical and provocative move, almost begging black to play d4 in

order to open the white diagonal of the Bishop g2.
At the same time, another idea of this move might be to put some pressure on
the d5 pawn, when Bg5 would follow. This is a very instructive idea, which
we shall see again in other games later…

7… 0-0
On d4, white would be playing 8. Ne4 – Nxe4 9 dxe4 – Bg4 10. e3, with an
interesting position.
8. e3!

Amazing. Black was certainly expecting e2-e4, reaching some usual types of
positions. By playing e3 now, white retains a maximum of pawn flexibility
for the future. A theme which we will find many times.
8… Re8 9. b3

The position looks more and more like a Hippo formation: all pawns are
currently on the 3rd rank, waiting for the opponent to overreach, and react
accordingly. Exactly the same strategy as the Alekhine defense. At the same
time, both bishops will prepare for their work on the longest diagonals of the
board.

9… Bf5
On the contrary, black is playing in the purest classical style of chess, which
leads the game into a very instructive domain: Classical versus Hypermodern
Concepts! 10. h3

A usual concept in the hippo as soon as the bishop is developed. When the
bishop is developed, h3 is played in order to follow either with Kh2 with a
solid position, or with g4 for the more adventurous minds… avoiding the
exchange of white’s very important bishop on g2.

10… h6
Black wants to free a hiding place for its bishop, in case of g4, potentially
followed by Nh4, winning the pair of bishop with a better pawn structure.
11. Bb2 – Qd7 12. Kh2 – Rad8 13. Ne2
There are multiple ideas behind this move.

First of all, it adds pressure to the e5 square.

Secondly, the c pawn becomes free as well, possibly preparing a future c2-c4
advance in order to counter-attack the black center of pawns, and opening the
c line for a rook.
Always remember that the rooks are the most difficult pieces to activate
during chess openings. Anything helpingthe powerful rooks to control open
or semi open files must be good ideas.

13… Bd6 14. Nd2!

And now white continues in similar fashion as the previous move. Releasing
some power to bishop g2, and freeing the f pawn, behind which a white rook
is hoping to get some freedom!

14…Qe7 15. Qb1!!?

A truly amazing idea!!
White wants to move his queen to a2, and then move the Rook a1, after
which the Queen will go to a1, increasing the pressure on the e5 pawn. Isn’t it
a wonderful strategy?
Hypermodern chess at its maximum.

15… Bg6 16. Qa2 – Nb8 17. Rae1

The best place for the rook, which is centralized. You will very soon
understand why the rook belongs there…
17… Nbd7 18. Qa1
Unbelievable but true. This is the 18th move and white did not move any
pawn or piece beyond the first 3 lines! In typical games, the 18th move is
usually either:
- An ongoing theory battle, or
- An ongoing middle game
In this game however, we are outside of any theory, plus the middle game has
not yet truly started!
18… c6 19. f4!

Finally, a pawn is moved to the 4th rank, and this comes with much more
energy and power than it would have had if it was played before. Both white
rooks are ideally placed for the configuration of the position. Both bishops
are extremely active. Both knights are centralized and ready to be released
where they will be needed.

19… Bc7
Of course, exf4 is out of question for black, because of the Qa1 – Bb2 battery
against e5 and f6…
20. Qc1
A strange move at first sight. But remember these rules in the Hippo system:
- Be patient and do not rush
- Slowly improve your position with hidden/positional ideas.
Here, white’s idea is to play a4 and continue possibly with Ba3, activating the
bishop towards the d6 square.

20… Qd6 21. a4 – Bb8 22. Ba3 – Qc7 23. f5!

Gaining space on the king side with tempo, and preparing to continue with
e4, after which white’s position will be extremely powerful on the king side.

23… Bh5
Bh7 was certainly interesting, and would come to my mind. As we shall see
later, the Bishop on h5 will not be well placed and will be in danger. But
white should be very careful about the g3 square, threatened by the Qc7 and
Bb8… and therefore, white followed with the very natural:

24. e4!
Again, a multi-purpose move:

- The clear idea to continue with g4 trapping the bishop. Of course, g4 was
not possible before because of black playing e4 with check.
- To block black’s most dangerous active pieces, which are the Queen c7 and
the Bb8.
White’s edge becomes clear.

24… dxe4
Feeling the danger on the kingside, black decides to open up the center, in
order to possibly get some compensation in that area. It is a fact that closing
the position with 24…d4 would give white all comfort and time to build up a
very dangerous kingside attack.

25. dxe4 – Bxe2Mandatory, as the bishop was in danger. 26. Rxe2 – Ba7?!
In this position, worth investigating was b5!, aiming for b4 and at the same
time stopping any possibility for white to use the c4 square for its knight.
27. g4!!

This is an amazing Grand Master very long-term strategy! The basic idea is
that white will build up very slowly but surely an attack on the side of the
board where it has more space. With a lot of patience. If I tell you that white
is getting prepared to play g4 to g5 12 moves later, this is certainly called
very long-term planning!

27… Bc5
Of course, black wants to trade pieces in order not to allow future Nc4, and to
lower the pressure.

28. Bf3

One of these “mysterious” or hidden moves which tell that white surely has
read Nimzowitsch!
It looks as if white is doing nothing in particular.
However, white protects its g4 pawn in order to plan the h4 push in the
future. I must encourage you to study the games of the 8thWorld Champion
Tigran V. Petrosian. I studied a great book (unfortunately not easy to find
anymore…), written by Belgian GM O’Kelly about Petrosian, which contains
a chapter called “The art of doing nothing”. This move really reminds me this
idea, which is so typical of Nimzowisch and of course of Petrosian himself.

28… Qd6 29. Nc4 – Qe7 30. Bb2 - Ra8 31. Qe1 – Bb4 32. c3 – Bc5 33.
Bc1!
The bishop is now going to focus on the g5 and h6 squares. The g5
Another random document with
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 VIDA
DO
DR. GREGORIO DE MATTOS GUERRA

Abreviarei a vida de um poeta pouco cuidadoso de estende-la nos

espaços da eternidade, que lhe franqueou as portas, escrevendo
costumes do doutor Gregorio de Mattos Guerra, mestre de toda a
poesia lyrica por especial decreto da natureza, cujo enthusiastico
furor poderá só retratar-se dignamente, porque de fórma menos viva
desconfia a equidade tão excellente materia.
Cousas direi menos decorosas ao sujeito de minha empreza; e
por seguir os dictames da verdade historica, quero perder os louros
de piedoso advogado contra exemplares famosos, que
commentando ou redimindo as obras de benemeritos talentos,
affectam justificar-lhe as vidas no resumo d’ellas, de modo que
pareça impeccavel aquelle de quem o céu confiou os erarios da sua
profluencia. E si a geral opinião reprovar ésta maxima por
desabrida, o mesmo sujeito que descrevo me apologisa, cujas
doutrinas persuadem sempre a verdade nua.
Nasceu na Bahia de Todos os Sanctos, capital cidade do Estado
do Brazil, ao Cruzeiro de S. Francisco, da parte do norte, em casas
cuja figurada cornija de medalhas imperiaes ainda hoje as distingue
caprichosamente nobres. Os paes que o deram á luz em 7 de abril
de 1623 foram Pedro Gonçalves de Mattos, fidalgo da serie dos
Escudeiros em Ponte de Lima, natural dos Arcos de Valdevez; e
Maria da Guerra, matrona geralmente conhecida de respeito em
toda a cidade, cujas prendas intellectuaes amassaram uma trindade
capaz de resplandecer no coração da mesma Roma. A 15 do dicto
mez recebeu a graça baptismal com o nome de João, na cathedral
que depois o venerando prelado d. Pedro da Silva e Sampaio, pela
sua occurrencia e milagroso auspicio de S. Gregorio Magno
collocado em Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, lhe mudou em Gregorio,
mysterioso agouro de que seria Gregorio doutamente grande o tenro
afilhado: mas dirigida aquella mudança de algum modo a favorecer
a distincção de seus paes.
Eram estes de tal maneira ricos que possuiam com outras
fazendas um soberbo cannavial na Patatyba fabricado com perto de
cento e trinta escravos de serviço, que repartia a safra por dous
engenhos, cujo rendimento suppria largamente os gastos de um
liberal tractamento e caridade com os pobres; mas nada d’isto basta
para que um poeta sendo grande se escuse de morrer nos braços
da maior miseria.
Foi o doutor Gregorio de Mattos o ultimo filho de tres varões que
nasceram d’este matrimonio, dotados pela natureza com os maiores
thesouros; mas a fortuna sempre opposta aos morgados da
natureza veiu a consumir-lhe aquelles nomes, que ambiciosa a fama
pedia; e não sem apparencias de virtude, increpando o desalinho e
pouca estimação, &, achaques que sempre toma de anniquilar os
benemeritos, e desgraça repetidas vezes chorada de sua mãe, que
com agudeza natural dizia: «Deu-me Deus tres filhos como tres
sovélas sem cabo.» Farei particular menção dos dous primeiros no
segundo tomo, para que o ultimo se não queixe do desaire que a
minha penna poderia occasionar-lhe, que é menos honra ser um
accidentalmente grande, que o ter vinculada sua grandeza na
especie generativa.
Gregorio, que d’este triumvirato sapiente é o nosso particular
assumpto, criou-se com a boa estimação que inculcavam os seus
haveres e as suas honras. Soube mais que seus brazileiros
contemporaneos fatalmente agudos com o temperamento do clima,
sendo lastima carecerem de mestres para toda a Faculdade: porque
Athenas perdêra de uma vez aquella suberba, com que se reproduz
em desprezo do mundo.
Passou a Coimbra, onde não teremos por novidade que
aprendesse, ou que admirasse quem tanto de casa levava as
potencias dispostas. Direi somente que assombrou na poesia:
porque Belchior da Cunha Brochado, depois desembargador da
Relação d’este Estado, escreveu a certo cavalheiro da côrte em um
periodo succinto o maior elogio do seu enthusiasmo: «Anda aqui
(dizia elle) um estudante brazileiro tão refinado na satyra, que com
suas imagens e seus tropos parece que baila Momo ás cançonetas
de Apollo.» Não devia de haver-lhe visto as valentias amorosas para
enviar outra cedula aos apaixonados de João Baptista Marini pelo
postilhão de Italia: mas como o maior d’esta materia se destina a
perpetuo silencio pela impunidade dos termos que a modestia
portugueza não permitte, triumphem os Italianos embora, que lá
deve de haver necessidade d’aquillo mesmo que cá se despreza.
Doutorou-se na Faculdade de Leis, e passando á côrte a praticar
os termos da judicatura com um dos melhores lettrados d’ella, lhe
conciliou grandes creditos o caso seguinte:
Defendia este lettrado um pleito a certo titular, tão volumoso que o
conduziam mariólas quando era preciso. Era a causa civel sôbre a
possessão de uns morgados, e expirava contra aquelle cavalheiro,
que somente queria empatar-lhe a execução; e nesse empenho
nenhuma esperança lhe dava o seu advogado com os melhores da
côrte. Mas por animar o affligido pleiteante, resolveu manda-lo ao
doutor Gregorio de Mattos, dizendo que só d’aquella viveza confiava
o remedio palliativo a Sua Excellencia, dado que o houvesse.
Conduzido aquelle volumoso labyrintho para casa do nosso
praticante, com os maiores encarecimentos lhe supplicou o fidalgo
que puzesse os olhos naquelle instrumento de sua perdição,
examinando-lhe os menores incidentes para embargos, cuja
extensão dirigia a concertar-se com a parte vencedora por meio de
algum respeito.
Era meio dia, foi-se o fidalgo, e não lhe soffrendo descanso o seu
alvoroço antes de vesperas, partiu a examinar si se desvelava ou
não com os autos o novo lettrado; mas achando-o na janella que
palitava sôbre o jantar, grandemente affligido rompeu em queixas do
pouco cuidado que lhe dava cousa de tanta importancia. «Socegue
V Ex. (lhe disse o bom Gregorio), que os autos estão vistos, e nelles
o remedio que desejamos muito avantajado. Neste termo de
autuação temos embargos de nullidade a todo o processo, porque
no anno aqui mencionado antes e depois corria um decreto de
Felippe IV que condemnava nullos aquelles processos começados
em papel que não tivesse o sello das armas de Castella; e como
alcançou o decreto este, de que tractamos, e lhe falta o sello,
segue-se que está nullo.» Com esta destreza se trocaram as
fortunas dos pleiteantes, e o novato se acreditou por aguia de
melhor vista.
É tradição constante que serviu na côrte o logar de Juiz do Crime;
e que tambem serviu o de Orphãos se mostra de uma douta
sentença sua proferida em 2 de novembro de 1671, que traz Pegas
no tomo 7.ᵒ das Orden., Liv. i. tit. 87 § 24. Chegou a merecer a
attenção do senhor rei d. Pedro II, então principe regente da
monarchia, pelo bom e particular conceito que fez da sua grande
litteratura e rectissimo proceder, e d’aqui se foi engolphando em
merecimentos. Com promessa de logar na Supplicação o mandava
sua alteza ao Rio de Janeiro devassar dos crimes de Salvador
Corrêa de Sá e Benavides, mercê que fatalmente rejeitou. Uns
dizem que por temer as violencias de tão poderoso quão resoluto
réu, quando no firme proposito de observar justiça: outros, que com
algum atrevimento indecoroso capitulára com o Soberano a mercê
antecipada do serviço, dando a entender que se fiava pouco em
promessas ainda que Reaes.
Isto é o que se conta, e sempre o ouvi dizer a pessoas de melhor
noticia; mas como se faz merecedor do engano (diz Camões) quem
acredita mais o que lhe dizem, que o que vê, affirmarei que o doutor
Gregorio de Mattos cahiu da graça do Soberano á persuasão de
alguem prejudicado em suas satyras, sem que atrevida ou
temerosamente recusasse mercês. Thomaz Pinto Brandão, em um
resumo que faz da sua mesma vida, diz que viera ao Brazil na
companhia d’elle, que se retirava descontente de lhe negarem
aquillo mesmo com que rogavam a outros, e isto por ser poeta e
jurista famoso:

Procurei ir-me chegando

A um bacharel mazombo,
 Que estava para a Bahia
Despachado, e desgostoso
De lhe não darem aquillo
Com que rogavam a outros,
Pelo crime de poeta,
Sôbre jurista, famoso.

D’aqui infiro que invejas indignas occasionaram que o doutor

Gregorio de Mattos se retirasse desgostoso para a patria d’aquellas
injustiças, que de ordinario padecem na côrte os benemeritos. E
com elle mesmo provarei o que digo, que é auctor sem suspeita,
escrevendo umas decimas a d. João de Alencastre:

Mas inda que desterrado

Me tem o fado e a sorte
Por um juiz de má morte, &.

Esta queda do conceito de el-rei devia occasionar-lhe certo

semivalido, contra quem indignado soltou o meu poeta os diques á
sua musa, mostrando desde Lisboa ao mundo a mais venenosa
satyra que podéra excogitar o mesmo Apollo. Sempre que leio este
ramalhete de viboras me recordo do miseravel Bupalo, que
desesperado de honra se enforcou por haver sido assumpto de
outra menos viva talvez do que esta: cujo heroe devia de amar
menos a honra, do que a vida. Foi tal esta obra, que o mesmo
Soberano a decorou, fazendo glorioso apreço das suas figuradas
consonancias.
Despachado e desgostoso, que são termos encontrados, diz
Thomaz Pinto que viera para a patria o doutor Gregorio de Mattos: e
veiu desgostoso por lhe negar el-rei o adiantamento que merecia,
mas despachado, porque sendo provido na dignidade de
thesoureiro-mór da Sé da Bahia, d. Gaspar Barata de Mendonça,
primeiro arcebispo d’esta, lhe commetteu o cargo de vigario geral,
que acceitou, e com estes empregos se embarcou para a patria,
desenganado de poder lograr o fructo de suas virtuosas lettras em
uma côrte que o reconheceu agudo, para teme-lo ousado. O
desembargador Christovão de Burgos de Contreiras, natural da
Bahia, que depois o foi na Relação de Lisboa, lhe facilitou a
passagem na sua conducta, e em julho de 1681 entrou a exercer de
ordens menores aquelles cargos que trouxera, trajando porém o
habito secular todo aquelle tempo que lhe ficava livre das
obrigações ecclesiasticas: capricho que principiou a arrufa-lo com os
governadores do arcebispado: porém os erros do habito eram nelle
menores que os de costume naquelles, cuja parcialidade se
augmentára por horas em contraposição da luz: e o padecente que
conhecia o seu damno com vista clara, queria reparar a inimizade
de todos com a sua. Elle o pinta magistralmente nestes versos:

Querem-me aqui todos mal,

Mas eu quero mal a todos,
Elles e eu por varios modos
Nos pagamos tal por qual:
E querendo eu mal a quantos
Me têm odio tão vehemente,
O meu odio é mais valente,
Pois sou só, e elles são tantos.
Algum amigo que tenho,
Si é que tenho algum amigo,
Me aconselha que o que digo
O cale com todo o empenho, &.

Era o doutor Gregorio de Mattos acerrimo inimigo de toda a

hypocrisia, virtude que, se podéra, devia moderar, attendendo ao
costume dos presentes seculos, em que o mais retirado anacoreta
se enfastia da verdade crua. Mas seguindo os dictames da sua
natural impertinencia, habitava os extremos da verdade com
escandalosa virtude, como si nunca houveram de acabar-se as
singelezas da primeira edade; e bem que se communicava com os
doudos, d’aquella prodigiosa chuva nunca se resolveu a molhar a
cabeça, como admiravelmente o diz na obra em que redargue a
doutrina ou maxima de bem viver, que seguem muitos politicos, de
involver-se na confusão de homens perdidos e nescios, a qual o
leitor veja, por me fazer mercê, e d’esta contumacia lhe nasciam os
quebradouros d’ella. Nem havia lisonja que desmentisse as durezas
d’aquelle engano, o que se prova com esta decima:

A nossa Sé da Bahia,
Com ser um mappa de festas,
É um presepe de bestas,
Si não fôr estrebaria:
Varias bestas cada dia
Vejo que o sino congrega:
Caveira mula gallega,
Deão burrinha bastarda,
Pereira mula de albarda,
Que tudo da Sé carrega.

Pareceu a certo conego que não ia incluido nesta decima, onde o

seu nome se não mostrava, e promptamente lhe veiu agradecer
com palavras humildes; mas o bravo lhe respondeu: «Não, senhor
padre, lá vai nas bestas.» É verdade que naquelle tempo eram
poucos ou nenhuns os formados que vestiam murça, e tanto que
para acceitarem aquelles logares capitulavam conveniencias os
benemeritos, pelo contrario do que agora passa.
Com ésta singular opinião passou o doutor Gregorio de Mattos de
uma côrte de sabios, que o representavam grande, a uma colonia
de presumidos, que o aborreciam critico, experimentando por peior
condição d’esta troca desegual o entregar-se nos braços da propria
patria, onde o mais purificado sempre tem o desar de o haverem
visto menino. E como aquelle que olhou para o sol, que qualquer
sombra depois lhe parece abysmo, a elle, com a vista proxima de
Lisboa, se representavam infernos as confusões da Bahia.
O genio satyrico e orgulho intrepido, não ha duvida que de justiça
providencial se devia ao desgoverno d’estas conquistas, onde cada
um tracta de fazer a sua conveniencia, gema quem gemer, e se
notou que de algum modo moderaram os viciosos seus depravados
costumes: de que veiu a dizer o grande padre Antonio Vieira que
maior fructo faziam as satyras de Mattos, que as missões de Vieira;
mas bem podéra deixar de dizer muitas cousas, sem inteira
informação, do que ao depois como christão se arrependeu, dizendo
ao vigario da Muribeca em Pernambuco, Antonio Gomes Baracho,
que lhe doia na alma o que dissera de fr. Basilio.
Com este genio pois e com esta valentia se fez Gregorio de
Mattos aborrecido de uns e temido de outros. Estes lhe fingiam
amizade, pelo que já sentiam: sendo o primeiro golpe da commum
vingança fazerem-lhe despir a murça capitular com desprezo, por
sentença do arcebispo d. fr. João da Madre de Deus, successor
d’aquelle em cujo tempo a vestira; si não é que elle de motu proprio
abandonou o beneficio por se não accommodar ás pensões da sua
residencia.
Poucos dias antes pretendeu este prelado com piedosas mostras
persuadir ao poeta que tomasse ordens sacras, para conservar-lhe
os cargos; mas elle respondeu com inteira resolução que não podia
votar a Deus aquillo que era impossivel cumprir pela fragilidade de
sua natureza; e que a troco de não mentir a quem devia inteira
verdade, perderia todos os thesouros e dignidades do mundo: que o
ser mau secular não era tão culpavel e escandaloso, como ser mau
sacerdote. E esta resposta esperava sem duvida o arcebispo,
conhecida a inteireza de Gregorio de Mattos. Sendo certo que si o
quizera conservar nos cargos não eram as ordens condição
necessaria, valentia foi sem duvida offender a um homem que para
despicar-se não respeitava caracter, nem potestade, trajando por
espada a mesma foice de Saturno amolada nas esquinas da
eternidade.
D’esta segunda declinação da fortuna, que com os bens
patrimoniaes muito antes havia vacillado, nasceu o precipicio
terceiro, que se encadeam os males, casando com Maria de Povos,
viuva honestissima, quanto formosa; mas tão pobre que seu mesmo
tio Vicente da Costa Cordeiro, lastimado do seu abatimento,
entendeu despersuadi-lo. Mas vendo ser impossivel, fez da sua
fazenda um donativo, para que a sobrinha não fosse totalmente
destituida. Era o gosto de Gregorio de Mattos, e não se trocava
pelos maiores interesses, que nunca o dinheiro foi capaz de lhe
apaixonar o animo. Vendeu já necessitado por tres mil cruzados
uma sorte de terras, e recebendo em um sacco aquelle dinheiro, o
mandou vasar no canto da casa, d’onde se distribuia para os gastos
sem regra, nem vigilancia.
Posto já na obrigação de sustentar encargos de matrimonio, e
aberto as portas o escriptorio da vocacia, poucos eram os
defendidos, porque a inteireza do seu animo patrocinava sómente a
mesma razão em materias civeis, sendo inimigo voraz d’aquelles
advogados, que por junctarem cabedal enredam as partes no
labyrintho de incertas opiniões. Si algumas vezes defendeu contra o
que entendia, eram as causas crimes, onde a summa justiça se
reputa por summa iniquidade. Ninguem se acorda que lhe
rejeitassem embargos, e toda a materia d’elles se corporisava em
quatro palavras d’aquelle espirito laconico, que sem offender
gigantes fórmas conseguia a diminuição plausivel das materias,
logrando na curta esphera de qualquer laconismo alma substancial,
visivel graça, e intelligencia commum, como ninguem. Por exemplo
contarei com brevidade alguns casos.
Pleiteava Pedro o cabedal que havia dado com sua filha em dote
a Paulo, o qual depois de adornar a defuncta esposa com palma e
capella, publicava que havia fallecido intacta. Defendia por parte do
auctor o nosso jurista, e provada legalmente razoou o feito com ésta
vulgaridade:

Gaita de folles não quiz tanger,

Olhe o diabo o que foi fazer.

Banhou-se em aguas de flor o patrono adverso accusando de

ridicularia indecente este razoado na extensa formalidade do seu:
mas um e outro Senado confirmando aquella sentença, veiu a
conhecer o que realmente passava; e foi que o doutor Mattos
fallando pouco para merecer o menos, dizia muito para conseguir o
mais.
 Outro laconismo se nos envolve na historia de um religioso, para
cuja intelligencia já dissemos o grande aborrecimento que tinha a
todo o fingido. Venerava os religiosos verdadeiros tanto quanto
abominava os que com este sancto titulo apenas merecem o nome
de frades. Elle o diz com graça nestes versos:

Se virdes um dom abbade

Sôbre o pulpito cioso,
Não lhe chameis religioso,
Chamae-lhe embora de frade.

Um d’estes frades pois se valeu do doutor Mattos, pedindo

embargos para seu sobrinho, sentenciado á morte natural por haver
furtado a naveta da sua sacristia. Mas elle absolutamente o
desenganou que não estava em hora de o servir. Instava o religioso
por saber ao menos a razão da difficuldade, e comtudo não poderei
eu doirar a pilula da resposta. «É (dizia elle) que neste instante se
foi d’aqui Maria de S. Bento muito agastada, e fez aquella cruz na
minha porta em juramento de não entrar mais por ella.» «Ila-hei
buscar (tornou o religioso), si nisso está o valer-me V Mᶜᵉ.» E logo
foi representar á mulata quanta necessidade tinha de leva-la a
quebrar o seu juramento. Caprichosa era ella, mas em tal caso
caritativa accompanhou o triste pretendente, e posta já na presença
d’esse singular e exquisito genio, ouviu que lhe dizia assim: «Não
eras tu, ridicula, quem fez aquella cruz de aqui não tornar? Bem se
vê que morrias por esta introducção. Ora vae, que agora te mando
eu.» Foi-se a mulata exhalando veneno pelos olhos; e á vista dos
autos fez elle a seguinte trova por embargos:

A naveta, de que se trata,

Era de latão, e não de prata.

Á vista dos autos digo, porque o processo nelles estava em

termos de lhe valerem, como valeram, ganhando sempre applausos
pela attenção com que examinava os menores incidentes.
Com a folhinha do anno livrou a outro condemnado, contra quem
as testemunhas com verdade haviam jurado de vista sôbre um furto
de noite escura, a peditorio de seu amigo João dos Reis, mordomo
então da Misericordia.
Um homem de baixa esphera, que por aquella iniquidade a que
no Brazil chamam fortuna, subiu a desconhecer seu amo,
comprando a vara de Juiz Ordinario na villa de Igaraçú em
Pernambuco, fez um auto criminal contra este, por lhe haver
chamado por Vós, como antes de o ver Juiz costumava. Defendia o
nosso jurista ao réu, e confessando a culpa, mostrou que o não era,
começando as razões com este argumento:

Si tractam a Deus por tu,

E chamam a El-Rei por vós,
Como chamaremos nós
Ao Juiz de Igaraçú?
Tu e vós e vós e tu.

Estas e outras obras de mais agigantado peso no seu officio

canonizaram o doutor Gregorio de Mattos pelo melhor jurista; de
sorte que no dia de sua morte disse o Ouvidor de Pernambuco, que
lhe não era affeiçoado: «Já morreu quem entendia o direito.» Mas si
o dinheiro é inimigo declarado da virtude, mal poderia Gregorio de
Mattos adquiri-lo, defendendo o justo, e aconselhando o verdadeiro,
arrebatado maiormente pelo furor das Musas, cuja condição
totalmente se encontra com os labyrinthos de Bardo e Bartolo.
Conta-se que muitas vezes aconteceu entrarem-lhe as partes com
dinheiro consideravel, e os amigos com assumptos menos dignos, e
que elle despresava aquellas, por attender a estes, passando
lastimosas necessidades.
Era a esposa um pouco impaciente, talvez pelo pouco pão que via
em casa, e tal pelo distrahimento de seu marido, cujas
desenvolturas claro se patenteam d’estas obras: como veremos
pelas rubricas de cada uma, posto que nem a todas se deva dar
inteiro credito; e enfadada de uma e outra desesperação sahiu de
casa, e entrou pela de seu tio, que depois de a reprehender
asperamente, veiu rogar ao poeta com razões de amigo que a fosse
buscar, ou consentisse ao menos que elle lh’a trouxesse: e foi-lhe
respondido que de nenhum modo admittiria sua mulher em casa
sem vir atada em cordas por um capitão do matto, como escrava
fugitiva. Assim se fez pelo mais decoroso modo, e elle a recebeu,
paga a tomadia do regimento; protestando chamar Gonçalos
áquelles filhos que nascessem de tal matrimonio; porque a sua casa
se pudesse dizer de Gonçalo, com mulher tão resoluta.
Acossado da pobreza, e sem esperança alguma de remedio em
uma terra, onde sómente o tem para triumphar da fortuna quem por
estradas de iniquidade caminha, se entregou o poeta a todo o furor
da sua Musa, ferindo a uma e outra parte como raio com edificios
altos a materia mais debilitada. E não achando a resistencia, que
talvez desesperado pretendia (negação fatal em tempos bellicosos),
elegeu peregrinar pelas casas dos amigos, e sahiu ao reconcavo
povoado de pessoas generosas pela multidão florentissima de
engenhos d’assucar, preciosa droga, que perdendo com o valor a
estimação, levou comsigo a dos Magnates Brazilienses.
Por este Paraiso de deleites estragava a cithara de Apollo suas
harmoniosas consonancias com assumptos menos dignos de tão
relevante estrondo. Lascivas mulatas e torpes negras se ufanizaram
dos tropos e figuras de tão delicada poesia. Mas que muito, si
quando naufraga o baixel quaesquer barbaros galeam a mais
preciosa mercadoria! Não quero persuadir que a desesperação lhe
occasionou desenvolturas; mas direi que do genio, que já tinha, tirou
a mascara para manuzear obscenas e petulantes obras em tanta
quantidade, que das que tenho em meu poder tão indignas do prélo,
como merecedoras da melhor estimação, se póde constituir um
grande volume.
Mas a prodiga diffusão de mal applicados conceituosos
dispendios nascia das enchentes prodigiosas d’aquella Musa, que
sem esperança de que seus descuidos correriam na futura
estimação, barateava versos á conjuncção dos acasos, facilitando
linguagem ao genio dos sujeitos. Da mesma sorte que o celebrado
pintor Raphael de Urbino, que disfarçado em sua criminosa
peregrinação pintava aos oleiros louça, e taboletas de mezão aos
estalajadeiros, sem prevenir que em sua posteridade seriam
resgatados por alto preço aquelles borrões milagrosos da sua
malograda idéa.
Assistia-lhe nestas desenvolturas com outros do mesmo genero
aquelle celebrado trovador de chistes, a quem uma titular lisonja
proporcionou Thalia por ama sêcca, que se prezava muito de
ministrar-lhe assumptos, apezar dos melhores amigos, que d’estas
companhias lhe prognosticavam sempre a fatal ruina.
Governava então d. João de Alencastre, secreto estimador das
valentias d’esta Musa, que a toda a diligencia lhe enthesourava as
obras desparcidas, fazendo-as copiar por elegantes lettras; quando
de uma náu de guerra desembarcou o filho de certa personagem da
côrte com animo vingativo contra o poeta, por dizer-se que havia
satyrisado toda a honra de seu pae: e bem que disfarçava sua
maligna intenção, toda a intenção maligna percebeu d. João dos
mesmos disfarces d’ella. Era este cavalheiro generosamente
compadecido, e excogitando meios de livrar uma vida em que a
natureza depositára tão singulares prendas, achou traças de
segurar-lhe o perigo nos fingimentos de rigoroso justiceiro.
Ordenou aos officiaes de milicia que saindo fóra da cidade a toda
a cautela lhe trouxessem preso o dr. Gregorio de Mattos. Mas não
pôde effeituar a diligencia, porque suspeitoso d’ella o vigario da
Madre de Deus, Manuel Rodrigues, homem virtuoso que o
hospedava, soube consumir naquella ilha as mesmas presumpções
de ser achado. Mas o governador impaciente com ésta tyranna
piedade, que lhe frustrava os meios da sua piedosa tyrannia,
communicou a intenção ao secretario d’Estado Gonçalo Ravasco
Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, pessoa de bom entendimento, e como
tal estimador do poeta, e accordaram que o mesmo secretario
fingisse que o chamava para dar-lhe importantes avisos, que não
poderiam ser menos de pessoaes; e com carta de sua lettra se
enviou portador interessado nas melhoras do perseguido.
 Conhecida a lettra pelo dr. Gregorio de Mattos, e confiado na
muita honra de Gonçalo Ravasco, promptamente veiu a fallar-lhe no
logar determinado, que era a casa de Antonio de Moura Rolim,
tambem amigo, para que se veja que quando os amigos grandes se
junctam empenhados a favorecer um desditado poeta, será para o
prenderem e desterrarem por modo de fineza. Sempre tenho que
d’estas tres amizades, a primeira arrastou com sagacidade as duas
por temer em seu govêrno os atrevidos córtes d’esta penna.
Alli pois o prenderam sem poder dar um desafôgo ao discursivo; e
mettido na casa que chamam Leoneira, na mesma portada de
Palacio, mandou que alli não deixassem chegar pessoa de
qualidade nenhuma: e por mãos de um confidente criado lhe
remettia para sustentar-se os manjares de sua meza particular: e
d’esta particular prisão o trasladaram depois á cadêa, mal seguros
de seu perigo.
Trabalhou o infeliz Gregorio por justificar-se, lisongeando a um
tempo aquelle magistrado, cujas entranhas dominava pias; mas d.
João o desenganou, intimando-lhe que por sua conhecida culpa e
necessario remedio havia de embarcar-se para Angola em uma nau,
que promptamente carregava a tropa de cavallos de El-Rei para
Benguella. Era o dr. Gregorio de Mattos consummado solfista, e
modulando as melhores lettras d’aquelle tempo, em que a solfa
portugueza se avantajava a todas as de Europa, tangia
graciosamente. A proposito do que me pareceu escrever aqui esta
decima, que por isso lhe fez Gonçalo Soares da Franca, nobre
engenho da Bahia:

Com tanto primor cantais,

Com tanta graça tangeis,
Que as potencias suspendeis,
E os sentidos elevais:
De ambas sortes admirais
Suspendido o bravo Eolo,
Mas eu vos digo sem dolo,
Que de mui pouco se admira
 Pois tocais de Orpheu a lyra,
E a pluma tendes de Apollo.

Com estas prendas fazia apreço particular de uma viola, que por
suas curiosas mãos fizera de cabaço, frequentado divertimento de
seus trabalhos, e nunca sem ella foi visto nas funcções a que seus
amigos o convidavam, recreando-se muito com a brandura suave de
suas vozes. Por esta viola, que havia deixado na Madre de Deus,
fazia extremos taes, receiando que sem ella o embarcassem, que o
vigario Manuel Rodrigues, a quem feriam na alma suas desgraças,
promptamente lh’a mandou com um liberal donativo para as cordas
d’ella.
D. João, chegada a hora de embarcar, o mandou vir á sua
presença, e tractando-o com humanidade de principe lhe pediu que
evitasse as occasiões de sua perdição ultima; porque era lastima
que uma pessoa, a quem o céu enriquecêra de talento para melhor
fama, comprasse o seu discredito com o discredito irremediavel de
tantos. Decorosamente o fez embarcar, não se olvidando de
recommenda-lo ao governador de Angola Pedro Jacques de
Magalhães, a quem com a causa d’aquelle degredo insinuava os
perigos que em qualquer parte corria sua pessoa.
Chovendo maldições e praguejando satyras peregrinou os mares
aquelle que por instantes naufragava nas tempestades da terra.
Dizia elle que com razão sobrada podia articular o non possidebis
ossa mea de Scipião; e fallou com rigoroso acêrto: porque se
houveram patrias no mundo que desterraram seus benemeritos
filhos, não consistiu talvez essa desgraça tanto na malicia d’ellas,
como no destino d’estes. Porém a Bahia dos muitos habitos de
desprezar seus naturaes fez natureza para aborrece-los e persegui-
los. A melhor pintura d’esta verdade se póde ver nas vozes que
sôbre ella declama o mesmo poeta, onde sem hyperbole de Musas
resplandece a propriedade tal, que eu com ser extrangeiro
acreditava a poesia com o juramento dos Sanctos Evangelhos.
As personagens de quem o poeta justamente se queixa em suas
satyras são comparadas a uma herva natural de Guiné, chamada
aquelle terreno Nhesiquè, e transplantada neste com o nome de
Melão de S. Caetano, por virem as primeiras a um sitio d’este nome;
a qual de sorte se apoderou do Brazil em toda parte, que não ha
logar sem ella, nem planta que prevaleça com sua inutil visinhança.
As casas de religião enriquecidas e illustradas pelos curiosos e
liberaes mazombos, e sempre nellas laborando petulantes
opposições a parcialidade dos Reinóes admittidos alli por com
miseração. Ingratos hospedes! Mas si algum tivesse desejos de
padecer martyrio, fallar nesta materia queixoso causaria ao menos
um degredo similhante ao do doutor Gregorio de Mattos.
Não poderá negar-me a razão, que choro, quem sabe que no
anno de 1740 mandou o provincial de S. Francisco conduzir do
Porto uma chusma de pobretões, em desprezo dos pacientissimos
naturaes da terra, para adorno da sua religião, e nunca o demonio
acertou com esta destreza para combater o animo de Job. Chegam
finalmente a aborrecer os mesmos filhos sem maior causa que
haverem nascido no Brazil, onde receberam cabedal, e inundando
por toda a parte em que os brazileiros os honram e estimam, em
nenhuma d’ellas querem soffrer que haja honra nem estimação nos
brazileiros.
Fazendo porém verdadeira distincção nos nossos naturaes que
são comprehendidos nesta miseria, culparei sómente os das
fecundissimas provincias da Beira e Minho (salvando os nobres), e é
de reparar que sendo estes os que com maior necessidade se
lançam a buscar dinheiro, são estes mesmos aquelles cuja suberba
é tão formidavel a quem os remedeia. Vejamos ésta queixa
allegorisada pela nossa aguia sôbre o gato de um meirinho:

Não posso comer ratinhos,

Porque cuido, e não me engano,
Que de meu amo são todos
Ou parentes, ou paisanos:
Porque os ratinhos do Douro
São grandissimos velhacos;
Em Portugal são ratinhos,
 E cá no Brazil são gatos.

Mas deixando esta materia por irremediavel, e não por temer as

unhas d’estes gatos, irei seguindo o meu infeliz poeta em sua fatal
navegação.
Chegado ao reino de Angola, miseravel paradeiro de infelizes, a
quem com a propriedade costumada chamou armazem de pena e
dor, e exercendo na cidade de Loanda o officio de advogado,
aconteceu que amotinada a infantaria da guarnição d’aquella praça,
e posta em armas fóra da cidade, entrou uma chusma de soldados
pela casa de Gregorio de Mattos, forçando-o a que os fosse
aconselhar sôbre as capitulações que tinham com o governador seu
general; e posto com effeito entre os amotinados no campo, clamou
que o levassem á casa para trazer certa cousa que lhe esquecêra,
sem a qual não podia obrar á medida de suas satisfações.
Entenderam os soldados que seria livro de direito, e não duvidaram
de romper segunda vez o perigo de entrar na praça; mas aquelle
que imaginavam instrumento de solido conselho, outra cousa não
era mais que a sonora cabaça do poeta; do que se infere o como
chasqueou este Democrito das alterações da fortuna.
Muito pago ficou o governador d’esta galantaria geralmente
celebrada. Serviu-se d’elle para adjuncto na condemnação dos
cabeças d’aquelle motim, que foram arcabuzados pelos ouvidos; e
desempenhando a recommendação de d. João de Alencastre deu-
lhe liberdade para embarcar-se a Pernambuco. Posto naquella
capitania, governada então por Caetano de Mello de Castro, com o
semblante perturbado pela indecencia do habito demandou a
presença d’este fidalgo, que lastimando de ver o miseravel estado a
que chegára um homem tão mimoso da natureza, lhe fez donativo
de uma bolsa bem provida, e com palavras um pouco severas lhe
mandou que naquella capitania cuidasse muito em cortar os bicos á
penna, si o quizesse ter por amigo. Não sei si era zelo publico, si
particular temor. Gregorio de Mattos o prometteu fazer assim, e em
algumas occasiões mostrou quão violentado estava com aquelle
preceito: seja uma d’ellas o caso que refiro.
 Picadas de ciumes se encontraram duas mulatas meretrizes
juncto á porta do poeta, e renovando suas paixões de uma e outra
parte se descompunham em vozes petulantes. Passaram de lingua
a braços, e atracadas tenazmente cahiram por terra em ridicula
visão, a tempo que avisado da grita sahiu a vê-las o poeta, e dando
naquelle espectaculo deshonesto começou a gritar: ai que de El-Rei
contra o senhor Caetano de Mello! Perguntaram-lhe os
circumstantes que queixa tinha do governador: «Que maior queixa
(respondeu) que a de prohibir-me fazer versos quando se me
offerecem similhantes assumptos?» Notavel argumento do respeito
d’este fidalgo, si Gregorio de Mattos não tomára depois algumas
licenças de satyrisar.
Os nobres de Pernambuco contendiam ambiciosas
demonstrações de urbanidade com elle, venerando em sua pessoa
prendas de que já os havia a fama informado por escriptos. De uma
em outra fazenda passava Gregorio de Mattos uma regalada vida, e
sem offender a nobreza d’este paiz, me presuado a crer que o
adoravam á maneira que os antigos idolatras com politica religião
faziam sacrificios ao gorgulho para não destruir-lhe as sementeiras,
e á peste para perdoar-lhe as vidas. Mas sempre é digno de louvor
quem sabe lisongear o damno porque o teme. Na Bahia perdeu
muitos amigos pelo meio de os ganhar; e em Pernambuco os
ganhava pelo meio de perde-los. Referirei dous casos, que sirvam
de exemplo a este ultimo reparo.
Certa pessoa muito principal em Pernambuco, de quem o poeta
era hospede, ouvia d’elle os encarecimentos com que relatava a
desgraça em que nascêra, e sua desterrada peregrinação com
todos os acontecimentos tristes, e como attribuia seus infortunios á
rigorosa força de estrella; e mal persuadido d’esta rhetorica triste lhe
respondeu atalhando nesta fórma: «Sñr. doutor, nós mesmos somos
os auctores da nossa fortuna, e cada um colhe o que
semêa.»—«Não ha duvida (respondeu o poeta), mas é desgraçado
aquelle contra quem se conjurou a malicia, que das mesmas
virtudes lhe fazem dilictos: verbi gratia, alli vem aquelle boi (e
mostrou um da fazenda do mesmo sujeito); elle tem um só corno,
como estamos vendo, mas si eu lhe chamar boi de um corno, Deus
me livre da indignação de seu dono.» E sendo esta materia por
toque ou remoque muito melindrosa em Pernambuco, disfarçou este
homem o proposito, sendo certo que foi o maior amigo que teve
naquella terra o doutor Gregorio de Mattos.
O vigario da Muribeca Antonio Gomes Baracho, atravessado com
o seu coadjutor, não lhe podia soffrer as presumpções de solfista.
Ordenou ao seu trombeta que tocasse desesperadamente em
ouvindo cantar como sempre o coadjutor. Mas este que percebeu a
burla, tambem se armou de um caracol marinho, com que apupava
a trombeta de seu inimigo. O vigario, a quem o grande odio
descompunha o entendimento, se foi querelar do caso perante o
vigario geral, com quem privava. Recebida a queréla, e seguro o
coadjutor, chegou o caso á noticia de Gregorio de Mattos, e posto a
caminho sobre a besta de um farinheiro entrou com seis leguas de
jornada por casa do criminoso, a quem pediu procuração para
defender-lhe a causa, asseverando que o não trouxera alli outro
algum negocio, e que de graça o queria servir. Ia o padre a
agradecer-lhe tanta fineza, mas o doutor lhe atalhou, dizendo: «Não,
sñr. padre, não m’o agradeça, que o meu interesse é saber d’este
juiz qual é a lei que condemna a quem toca um buzio.» Avisado o
vigario do excesso que fizera aquelle homem, a quem conhecia
douto e respeitava poeta, logo o foi buscar á casa do mesmo
coadjutor, concedendo a este pazes, e ficando em particular
amizade com elle.
Honravam-no todos seriamente; mas arrebatado de seu fresco e
esparcido genio fugia dos homens circumspectos, e se inclinava
(como na Bahia) a musicos e folgazões. E sendo naturalmente
aceiado e gentil, descompunha a sua auctoridade vivendo entre
estes ao philosopho: de sorte que invejava aos barbaros gentios do
Brazil a liberdade de andarem nus pelo arvoredo, lastimando-se
d’aquellas pensões a que nos obriga a policia. Como outros
costumam adornar seus escriptorios de odoriferos pomos, que
regalam a vista e olfacto, adornava elle o seu de bananas que
chamam do Maranhão, que mais servem ao sustento que ao gosto:
e isto em demasiada quantidade, que provocando riso a quem as
via, dava em razão:—adornemo-nos de proveito, que em quanto as
tenho, riu-me da fome.
Uma rigorosa febre lhe attenuou os dias, de sorte que
desenganados os piedosos pernambucanos de remir-lhe a vida,
chamaram o vigario do Corpo Sancto Francisco da Fonseca Rego,
pessoa que suppunham de mais auctoridade, para que o
dispuzesse a morrer como catholico. Mas como este parocho era na
opinião do poeta mal recebido, sem poder disfarçar nesta hora o
genio livre, soltou algumas palavras, que puzeram as chimeras do
vulgo em suspeitas, de que nasceu um rumor menos decoroso á
sua consciencia; o qual chegando aos ouvidos do illustrissimo
prelado d. fr. Francisco de Lima, logo desde uma legua de caminho
se arrojou como bom pastor a tomar em seus hombros a ovelha que
suppunha desgarrada; e não foi assim, porque não só o achou
disposto a morrer como verdadeiro christão, mas em signal de que
lhe servira o entendimento no maior conflicto, viu em uma folha de
papel escripto com caracteres tremulos o grande soneto que
offerecemos:

Pequei, senhor: mas não, porque hei peccado,

Da vossa alta piedade me despido:
Antes quanto mais tenho delinquido,
Vos tenho a perdoar mais empenhado.
Si basta a vos irar tanto peccado,
A abrandar-vos sobeja um só gemido:
Que a mesma culpa, que vos ha offendido,
Vos tem para o perdão lisongeado.
Si uma ovelha perdida, já cobrada,
Gloria tal e prazer tão repentino
Vos deu, como affirmais na Sacra Historia:
Eu sou, senhor, ovelha desgarrada;
Cobrae-a; e não queirais, Pastor Divino,
Perder na vossa ovelha a vossa gloria.