Hypermodern openings let the opponent build a big pawn centre, then attack it from the side with pieces, often a fianchettoed bishop, and pawn breaks.
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Advanced pawns cannot come back, and the squares they leave behind can become weak. A big centre is also a big target, but only for a player who hits it at the right moment.
How to do it
- 1Develop a bishop on g7 or b7 to aim through the centre.
- 2Let the opponent occupy the middle, and note which pawns they have committed.
- 3Strike with a pawn break, usually ...c5 or ...e5, before their pieces support the centre.
For your level
You can let the opponent take the centre if you have a plan to hit it. The bishop on g7 usually does the hitting.
Common mistakes
- Letting the opponent build the centre and then never challenging it.
- Trading the fianchettoed bishop, the piece the whole system is built around.
Questions
- Are hypermodern openings good for beginners?
- They are harder, because a missed pawn break is punished slowly and the cause is hard to see. Playing classical openings first makes them easier to understand.