Chess Patterns   ❯   Condition of Knights and Bishops   ❯   Strong Bishop

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Strong Bishop

Strong Bishop

A Strong Bishop has several of these features: it controls key squares in the center and in the opponent's half of the board (an "active" Bishop serves an active function), has good mobility (a "good" Bishop is not obstructed by its own pawns), is well-coordinated with other pieces, is placed on a strong support point. In the diagram above, the Bishop on c4 is unassailable and exerts great pressure on the castled King.

Ideas for when you have a Strong Bishop: (1) Control key diagonals and dominate the opponent's pieces, (2) Use Bishop's mobility to create threats, (3) Coordinate with your other pieces to launch effective attacks. Ideas against a Strong Bishop: (1) Limit its activity by placing your pawns on squares of the same color as the Bishop, (2) Exchange the Bishop with one of your pieces.

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Master the Strong Bishop

When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on Strong Bishops. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this type of advantage.

 
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