How to Make Minor Pieces a Major Part of Your Chess Game: Bishops Vs. Knights

Piece values are one of the first things we learn when we begin playing chess. Most players know the traditional piece values - pawns are the basic unit, knights and bishops are worth three pawns each, rooks are worth five pawns, and the queen nine.

While advanced players may use more sophisticated values, these numbers are invaluable to a beginner. However, they do leave most novices with one glaring misconception - that bishops and knights are equal to each other.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. While bishops and knights are of similar values, they are very different pieces, and an understanding of the differences between the two will go a long way toward improving your chess. Some authors, such as Jeremy Silman, believe the struggle between knights and bishops is one of the most important concepts in chess.

Bishops

Bishops, unlike knights, are long range pieces. From the corners of the board, they may still influence the center by taking control of long, open diagonals. They thrive on open positions, where their long range mobility allows them to zip around the board quickly. In endgames where pawns are present on both sides of the boards, bishops are ideal, as they can cover both wings of the board at the same time.

However, bishops do have two major disadvantages. Most obviously, each bishop is limited only to squares of one color, meaning it can only reach half of the board. This is why having the bishop pair when your opponent does not is a significant advantage; two bishops together can influence the entire board, whereas one can only defend half of it.

Bishops are also weak in closed positions, when many pawns may block the bishops' best diagonals.

Knights

Knights are limited in range, but make up for this with their unique ability to leap around other pieces. This makes them ideal for closed positions, where they can maneuver around blockage more easily than bishops. They also excel in endgames where all pawns are on the same side of the board. A knight has the ability to move to squares of either color, something a long bishop does not.

To best use knights, however, they must be near the action. This means that, unlike bishops, knights cannot influence the center of the board from the corners or sides; this gives rise to the saying "knights on the rim are grim." Knights can be neutralized by using pawns to take away potential advanced squares where they might land.

Putting it All Together

The proper use of knights and bishops is just one of the skills a strong chess player must learn to develop. Bishops are best utilized in open positions, or in situations where a long-range piece is needed to influence action from afar. Knights are superior when the position is too closed for bishops to move freely, and when the action requires a piece that can move between the dark and light squares. Using this knowledge to decide when to retain your bishops or knights, and how to hinder those of your opponents, will go a long way towards improving your chess.