The Bishop
The Bishop glides diagonally across the board, covering great distances in a single move. It is permanently bound to one colour — a strength and a limitation that shapes every decision you make when you own one.
1. What is the Bishop?
Each player starts with two Bishops. The White Bishops begin on c1 and f1; the Black Bishops begin on c8 and f8. One Bishop starts on a light square, the other on a dark square — and they will stay on those colours for the entire game.
The Bishop is worth approximately 3 pawns — the same as a Knight. However, in open positions with long clear diagonals, a well-placed Bishop can be worth significantly more. In cramped, closed positions it can feel almost useless.
2. How the Bishop moves
The Bishop moves diagonally — any number of squares in any diagonal direction. It can move forward-left, forward-right, backward-left, or backward-right, as many squares as it wishes in one direction per turn.
Like the Rook, the Bishop is a sliding piece — it cannot jump over any piece in its path. It is blocked by both friendly and enemy pieces. When it reaches an enemy piece, it captures it and stops on that square.
3. The colour-bound rule
This is the defining characteristic of the Bishop. Because it always moves diagonally, it always lands on a square of the same colour it started on. A Bishop that starts on a light square will never, ever reach a dark square. It is colour-bound for life.
Starts on f1 (White) or c8 (Black). Controls only the 32 light squares. The other 32 dark squares are completely invisible to it.
Starts on c1 (White) or f8 (Black). Controls only the 32 dark squares. The other 32 light squares are completely invisible to it.
4. Interactive Bishop demo
Click a scenario to see the Bishop’s legal moves and captures. Notice how the Bishop always stays on one colour.
5. Good Bishop vs. bad Bishop
Whether a Bishop is powerful or weak depends almost entirely on where your own pawns are placed.
Good Bishop
A Bishop is considered good when your own pawns are placed on the opposite colour from your Bishop. The pawns are on different coloured squares, so they don’t block the Bishop’s diagonals. The Bishop roams freely around and behind the pawn chain.
Bad Bishop
A Bishop is considered bad when your own pawns are placed on the same colour as your Bishop. The pawns block the diagonals the Bishop wants to use. The Bishop is stuck behind its own pawn chain, contributing almost nothing to the position.
6. The Bishop pair
Having both of your Bishops while your opponent has lost one of theirs is called having the Bishop pair (or “two Bishops”). This is considered a significant long-term advantage.
The reason is simple: two Bishops together cover both colours of the board. One Bishop covers all the light squares; the other covers all the dark squares. Nothing on the board is safe from them. They work especially well together in open positions where their long diagonals are unobstructed.
7. Bishop vs. Knight
The Bishop and Knight are nominally equal in value (both worth about 3 pawns), but they play very differently. Choosing between them depends entirely on the position.
— Excellent in open positions with clear diagonals
— Works best with pawns on opposite colour
— Becomes stronger as the game opens up
— Two Bishops cover the whole board
— Excellent in closed positions with blocked pawns
— Can reach every square regardless of colour
— More dangerous in the endgame at close range
— A well-posted Knight can outplay a Bishop
8. Key diagonals
Just as Rooks aim for open files, Bishops aim for open, long diagonals. The two longest diagonals on the board — a1–h8 and a8–h1 — pass through the centre and are the most powerful. A Bishop controlling one of these diagonals can influence the entire board from a distance.
The concept of a fianchetto (from Italian, meaning “little flank”) is placing a Bishop on b2 or g2 (for White) pointing down the longest diagonals. This is one of the most common opening strategies — the Bishop sits safely behind a pawn and controls the centre from a distance.
9. Quick quiz
Test what you’ve learned about the Bishop.