The Ultimate Guide to the Bishop Chess Piece

Understanding how to use the bishops in a game of chess can unlock a new level in your game. They are key to gaining control of the board through the diagonals and crucial for a variety of openings, tactics, and checkmates.

In the following, we’ll answer questions like: Why is a bishop worth slightly more than a knight? What does it mean to have the good bishop? And how do players develop their bishops for the best advantage?

Brief History of the Bishop Chess Piece

The bishop is one of the pieces in chess that has changed the most in character and movement. It wasn’t until Medieval Europe that it took on a religious role, perhaps due to the rising power of the Catholic Church.

Before that, the bishop was usually represented as an elephant. This was the case in Chaturanga, the earliest form of the game, when it was called a Gaja and later an Alfil, a term still used for the piece in some languages.

It was described as moving in various ways, usually one or two squares diagonally. In some writings, it was noted as being able to jump over pieces. 

The most common appearance of the bishop with a recognizable slit represents the headwear of medieval religious figures. However, it is also thought that this slightly tusk-like design is a legacy of the piece's earlier identity as the elephant.

The Movement and Value of the Bishop

The bishop chess piece moves on diagonals. It can move any number of squares but can never jump over another piece.

Each of a player’s bishops starts on a different colored square and can never move to the other color. As such, we have light and dark-squared bishops. Which one you have can make a huge difference in the endgame. 

Every piece on the chessboard has a value. This corresponds roughly to how many pawns it is worth. Bishops, alongside knights, are worth 3 points (pawns). However, many chess theorists and grandmasters suggest that it is actually worth slightly more. Robert Fischer, for example, valued it as 3.25. 

Whatever the value, bishops in the right position can be a powerful weapon. 

Using Bishop Chess Pieces Positionally

The bishop chess piece is most effective when positioned actively. This means dominating the diagonals in open positions, using two coordinated bishops to control the board, and navigating pawn structures. 

Bishops and Openings

In classical openings, bishops develop to central positions, putting pressure on pawns and very often pinning a knight to a queen. When threatened, they can drop back to safe squares where they are not blocked in by the pawn structure. 

Often, players will aim to trade off a less active bishop, which tends to be the one on the opposite color to the majority of your pawns. Others prioritize holding onto the bishop pair, which can be a key advantage later in the game. 

In hypermodern openings, bishops play an even more important role. They often fianchetto, which means developing behind an advanced pawn to the b2 or g2 squares for White and g7 or b7 squares for Black. From this position, they can create flank pressure on central pawns, and if the board opens up, control the entire diagonal. 

Examples include the King’s Indian Defense, the Nimzo Indian, the Grünfeld Defense, the Sicilian Dragon, and the English Opening (in some variations).

Good Vs Bad Bishops 

Chess writers and teachers will often talk about good and bad bishops. The idea is that a good bishop is one on the opposite-colored squares to the majority of your pawns. This allows it to be more mobile and active in the position. A bad bishop is pinned in behind its own pawns of the same color. 

This is helpful to keep in mind when evaluating trades and development. However, it is not an absolute category. Bad bishops can become active as the pawn structure changes or play a vital defensive role. 

Coordinated Bishops

Another phrase you will hear is the bishop pair. In many scenarios, it is valuable to keep both bishops because of how they can coordinate together. This is especially true in an endgame when two bishops can often outmatch a bishop and a knight. 

The bishop pair is effective because of how they can strategically cover the board. One bishop can play a defensive role, while another can be more offensive. Centrally positioned, side-by-side bishops can control a massive portion of an open chess position. 

Bishop Endgame Ideas

Bishop endgames are extremely common. Of course, there are a vast number of possible scenarios, but a few fundamental ones are important to understand. 

In bishop vs bishop endgames, the color of each bishop and its relationship to the pawn structure are incredibly important. 

Theoretically, opposite-colored bishop endgames are usually drawn. In this example, even though you are up material (2 additional pawns), the game is a draw because it is impossible to make progress. You can never attack the pawns with your bishop, and your opponent can simply repeat moves. Advancing the pawns makes them more likely to be captured. 

Intuitively, this position looks like a win. You have a pawn and a bishop, so surely you can promote the pawn. In fact, the position leads to a draw because the dark-squared bishop cannot cover the light promotion square. This means you can never chase the king away, and any attempt to advance will end in stalemate or losing the pawn.

Bishops often outmatch knights in the endgame when the position is open. In this example, White is completely winning despite the equal material. The bishop can defend pawns on both sides of the board and quickly attack the opponent’s vulnerable pawns.

Bishop Tactics and Checkmates

Bishops are a crucial part of many tactics. In this section, we’ll explore some of the most common and effective bishop tactics. 

Tactical Motifs With the Bishop

As a long-range piece, bishops can create or participate in a wide range of tactics. These are some of the most notable. 

Pins

The most common bishop tactic is the pin. This is when it attacks a lower-value piece with a higher-value piece behind it. This forces the piece to stay in position or find some way to escape. In the opening, it often pins the knight to their natural development squares on f3 or f6, with the queen in its starting position. 

Skewers

Skewers are a similar idea in which a bishop can attack a valuable piece (like a king, queen, or rook) and force it to move, exposing another vulnerable piece. 

Batteries

Batteries are when two long-range pieces in a row attack or threaten a piece or squares, exerting more pressure than a single piece. A common threat is a battery of the queen and bishop attacking the castled king. 

Discoveries

Discoveries involve moving a piece out of the way of a long-range piece, allowing it to create an attack. Naturally, this is a key tactical idea for the bishop.

Sacrifices 

The bishop’s ability to cross long diagonals makes it an excellent piece to sacrifice. One common example is sacrificing to create an attack on the castled king. 

In the Greek Gift attack, the bishop sacrifices itself on h7 for White or h2 for Black, as we see here. 

In this position, the game is already lost for Black. If the king retreats, White can bring out the queen and quickly deliver checkmate. If the king captures, the knight delivers a check, drawing it out into the open. While there are several variations, this will lead to either checkmate or serious material loss. 

Bishop Checkmates

Bishops may not be the pieces to most frequently deliver checkmates, but they are often key supporting pieces.

Greco’s Mate

In this type of checkmating pattern, the rook attacks on an open file, while the bishop and an opponent’s piece block the king’s escape.

Morphy’s Mate

A similar checkmate using the bishop is Morphy’s Mate. In this case, the rook cuts off the escape squares for the king, and the bishop delivers checkmate. 

Boden’s Mate

This checkmate is a perfect example of the ability of two bishops to control important squares. 

It happens when your opponent’s king is blocked on one side by its own pieces. Its escape squares in front and on the side are blocked by one bishop, and the second bishop delivers the final checkmate. 

Two Bishops Checkmate

An excellent lesson in bishop coordination is checkmating a lone king with two bishops. The idea is to use the bishops and king to cut off your opponent's movement and gradually force them into a corner, carefully avoiding stalemate positions. 

Finally, you position the king and one bishop to cut off the escape squares, while the final piece delivers checkmate.

Related: Must-Know Checkmates for Beginners

Final Note: Create a Plan for Your Bishops

We’ve looked at the history and importance of the bishop chess piece, as well as the basics of using it efficiently. One key takeaway for improving as a chess player is to consider your bishops carefully when visualizing a position. 

If you cannot see an immediate advantage, look at how active your bishop or bishops will be. In the opening, rather than quickly trading off your bishops, hold the tension of pins and maximize pressure on the center. Look for tactics and sacrifices throughout the middlegame – see how keeping or trading a bishop can give you the most value. In an endgame, consider how pawn blockades can fix pawns on dark or light squares for your bishop to attack. Whatever the position, considering your bishops carefully tends to pay off.