Bishop - Chess glossary term

Bishop

Definition

The bishop is a long-range, diagonally moving piece in chess. Each side begins with two bishops: one that starts on a light square (c1 for White, f8 for Black) and one on a dark square (f1 for White, c8 for Black). Because bishops are confined to the color of the square on which they start, every bishop travels exclusively on either light or dark squares for the entire game.

Movement & Rules

Moves any number of vacant squares along a diagonal.
Captures by landing on an occupied square of an opposing piece on the same diagonal.
Cannot jump over other pieces.
Each bishop’s “range” increases dramatically on an open board with fewer central pawns.

Strategic Concepts

Bishops are valued at roughly 3 points (similar to a knight) but often gain or lose power based on position:

The Bishop Pair: Owning both bishops while the opponent has only one (or none) is considered an imbalanced advantage, especially in open positions. Their combined coverage criss-crosses the board and can dominate both color complexes.
Fianchetto: Placing a bishop on g2, b2, g7, or b7 after moving the adjacent pawn (e.g., 1…g6 2…Bg7) aims the bishop down the long diagonal toward the center and queenside.
Good vs. Bad Bishop: A bishop is “good” when its own pawns are on the opposite color squares, leaving lines open; it is “bad” when blocked by its own pawns. In the French Defense, Black’s light-square bishop on c8 is famously “bad” because it’s hampered by pawns on d5 and e6.
Opposite-Colored Bishops: When each side retains only bishops on opposite colors, positions often become drawish because the bishops cannot challenge each other’s lines. However, with queens or rooks still on the board, opposite-colored bishops can increase winning chances due to attacking possibilities.
Same-Colored Bishops Endgame: Endgames where both players have bishops on the same color can be highly technical; the stronger side strives to dominate the key diagonals and create zugzwang.

Historical Notes

The modern bishop’s diagonal power dates from the 15th-century transformation of chess in Europe. Earlier, in shatranj, its ancestor—the fil or “elephant”—leapt only two squares diagonally and was much weaker. When the piece gained unlimited range, the game’s pace accelerated, marking the birth of modern chess tactics and openings.

Famous Examples

Fischer vs. Byrne, “Game of the Century”, 1956. Bobby Fischer’s dark-square bishop from b7 sliced through the board, coordinating with a queen sacrifice that stunned the chess world.
Kasparov vs. Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999. Kasparov’s bishop pair, especially the monster on d4, orchestrated one of the most celebrated attacking masterpieces ever recorded.
Capablanca vs. Tartakower, New York 1924. José Raúl Capablanca showcased the strength of a “good” bishop vs. a “bad” one, gradually squeezing the position until a textbook breakthrough occurred.

Miniature illustration of a kingside fianchetto (King’s Indian Defense):

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

The bishop’s name varies by language: in French it is “fou” (jester), in Spanish “alfil” (elephant), and in Russian “слон” (elephant). English adopted “bishop,” perhaps inspired by the piece’s miter-like top in early European sets.
In computer chess, engines tend to value bishops slightly higher than knights (≈3.25) because they coordinate over long distances—something computers calculate exceptionally well.
Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky once joked that his favorite piece is the bishop “because it multitasks better than most people.”
During the 1997 Kasparov vs. Deep Blue match, commentators noted that Deep Blue’s evaluation function gave extra bonuses for the bishop pair in open positions—a factor that helped the computer outmaneuver Kasparov in Game 6.

Example Assessment

Imagine an endgame with White: King g2, Bishop d5, pawns f4 g3 h4 versus Black: King g7, Knight f6, pawns g6 h5. Here, the long-range bishop prevents the knight from accessing e4, g4, or h5, while the king infiltrates via f3-e4. Despite material equality, the bishop’s superior mobility creates winning chances.