Exercise 2.1Question
Black to move
Black to move. Which plan helps Black most in this structure?
2
Middlegame Strategy Essentials · Kapilash Chess Academy
Good and Bad Pieces
Bishops, knights and pawn chains
In this lesson you will learn
- What makes a bishop good or bad
- Why a knight on a protected central square is so strong
- How to activate a bad bishop or exchange it
- How pawn structure decides the value of each piece
Every board on this page is live. Move the pieces by tapping or dragging, click any move in the lines to see that position, and press ↺ to start again.
2.1 Good and Bad Bishops
A bishop is bad when many of its own pawns stand on squares of its colour, especially central pawns that are fixed. It bites on its own pawns and cannot reach the enemy position. A bishop is good when its pawns stand on the other colour and its diagonals are open.
Diagram 2.1Black to move
Example 2.1 · The French bishop
The French Advance. Black's pawns on d5 and e6 stand on light squares, the same colour as the bishop on d7.
The bishop on d7 is Black's problem piece: the pawns on d5 and e6 block it. Black's plans in the French — the ...c5 and ...f6 breaks, ...♕b6 against d4, ...♘f5 — all aim to make up for this. A bad bishop is not a lost game, but it is a long-term weakness that shapes your plans.
NoteA bad bishop can still be a good defender. The French bishop on d7 protects e6 and the light squares around Black's king. 'Bad' describes its activity, not its usefulness.
2.2 The Knight on an Outpost
A knight is strongest on a central square deep in the enemy half where no enemy pawn can attack it. Such a square is called an outpost. A knight on an outpost often beats a bishop, especially a bad one.
Diagram 2.2Black to move
Example 2.2 · The knight on d5
The Sveshnikov Sicilian. White has exchanged on f6 and put a knight on d5. No black pawn can attack it.
The knight on d5 is a monster: it controls c7, e7, f6 and b6, and Black cannot drive it away with a pawn. Black has the bishop pair as compensation and must play actively with ...f5. This is the typical trade-off: one side gets a great knight, the other gets the bishops and dynamic play.
Remember
- A bishop is bad when its own central pawns stand on its colour.
- An outpost is a square that no enemy pawn can attack.
- A knight on a central outpost is often stronger than a bishop.
- With a bad bishop, play pawn breaks or exchange the bishop.
Exercises · Lesson 2
Every exercise has been checked with a chess engine. Find the best move or choose the right plan.
Exercise 2.2Find the move
White to move
White to move. Find the natural developing move that keeps the knight strong.
Exercise 2.3Find the move
White to move
White to move. Find the strongest move.
Exercise 2.4Find the move
Black to move
Black to move. Find the strongest move.
Exercise 2.5Find the move
Black to move
Black to move. Find the strongest move.
Exercise 2.6Find the move
White to move
White to move. Find the strongest move.
Exercise 2.7Find the move
Black to move
Black to move. Find the strongest move.
Exercise 2.8Find the move
White to move
White to move. Find the strongest move.
Exercise 2.9Find the move
White to move
White to move. Find the strongest move.
Exercise 2.10Find the move
Black to move
Black to move. Find the strongest move.
Exercise 2.11Find the move
Black to move
Black to move. Find the strongest move.