The Value of Bishops in Chess

A luring, challenging and exciting board game, chess is known to many players as a sport wherein their abilities to analyze and create strategies are put into test. The game of chess assesses the knowledge of players regarding the employment of effective military tactics to secure one's camp and attack their opponent's camp. Chess uses pieces with different strengths and capabilities to help players establish strong position and win in the game.

Bishops are some of the pieces in chess which are not given attention by most players. There are players who focus their attention on some powerful pieces like the queen and rook. Underestimating the capabilities of bishops may affect a player's chance to succeed. Bishops are also powerful pieces in the game. Hence, it is the responsibility of players to explore how they can maximize the strengths of their bishops.

Bishops can be used to initiate attacks or offensive moves. On the other end, the pieces can also use to secure or support other pieces. The value of bishops depends on the position of the pawns of a player. In most instances, the bishop in the colored box is the one used by players to attack and the other bishop is used to defend other pieces.

The bishop that is used as one of player's defensive pieces must be placed near a strong group of pawns. The bishop which functions as an offensive piece should be used by players to limit and have control in the spaces of their opponents. It can also be used to pin or trap their opponents and initiate a check against the other player's king.

There are times wherein players sacrifice their bishops for the sake of getting better position in the game. To determine which bishop is the best to sacrifice, one should look whether there is an unopposed bishop in the game. An unopposed bishop is a bishop that does not have counterparts. This bishop is advantageous since it can disestablish the defense of the other camp. Above all, an unopposed bishop is useful in end games so players should avoid trading it for other pieces like the knight.

Bishops should be watched by players since there will be times that their opponents will threaten unopposed and attacking bishops. Bishops should be valued because they can restrict the moves of their opponents. With the use of these pieces, checking and winning in the game will be a lot easier.