Understanding before Moving 18: The bad bishop

Not only bad but dead

Sometimes a player may end up with a bishop that is walled-in by enemy pawns. Since some of his pawns also prevent him from becoming active, we can consider this bishop a ‘dead’ piece. The opponent can then try to throw his own light piece on the other side of the board into the fray.

With good and accurate play, the ‘dead bishop’ will have to end the game as a spectator.

In the diagram position White has a few strategic advantages. List these examples and decide which move is White’s best continuation. Choose from: A) 34.gxh5 B) 34.h3 and C) 34. Kg3.

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Links

• More videos...
• Understanding before moving 1: How to design a concept in the opening
• Understanding before moving 2: How to improve the activity of my pieces
• Understanding before moving 3: Queen in the corner
• Understanding before moving 4: King in the box
• Understanding before moving 5: Locked up pieces
• Understanding before moving 6: Paralyzed
• Understanding before moving 7: Divided in two - Part 1
• Understanding before moving 8: Divided in two - Part 2
• Understanding before moving 9: Hunting the king - Part 1
• Understanding before moving 10: Hunting the king - Part 2
• Understanding before moving 11: Pattern Recognition
• Understanding before moving 12: Advantage in Development
• Understanding before moving 13: Compensation
• Understanding before moving 14: Smoking the king out
• Understanding before moving 15: Knight on the Rim
• Understanding before moving 16: Limiting the opponent’s activity
• Understanding before moving 17: The Panno knight
• Herman Grooten - An interview with a chess authority