The Open File - Knight or Bishop?
Submitted by
NM Zug on Sun, 08/10/2008 at 12:23pm.
The Open File
by Life Master Mike Petersen (Zug)
Knight or Bishop?
Well, I promised, so now it’s time to deliver. It’s time to answer the age-old question: which is the better piece, the bishop or the knight? There have been numerous tomes written on the subject, but none of them have, in my opinion, attacked the real heart of the question. All they do is tell about the relative strengths and weaknesses of the knight or bishop in various positions. The question of which is the better piece depends upon much more than that.
For one thing, did you ever take the time to observe how players line up their pieces at the beginning of the game? Which do they spend the most time over, the knights or the bishops? Right. You see, everybody has their own ideas about which way the knight should be facing. Some, like me, think that the knights should begin the game facing the king. Others feel that both knights should face the same direction, either to the right or to the left. Then there are those who are aggressively minded and point their knights directly at the opposing army. On the other hand, who has ever seen anyone arrange his bishops with any particular care? How many of us really care which way that stupid little slit in the bishop's head faces? Do you?
Then there is the matter of how one picks up the pieces. Lifting a knight takes some thought, you know. Do you pick it up with your thumb and forefinger, or do you use your index and middle fingers to lift it? This latter method, by the way, is used most often by those who face their knights toward the enemy position at the beginning of the game. Now look at the bishop. Everybody just grabs. No thought required here! Pick it up and put it down. Whoopee. Let me tell you, moving a knight is an act of love for some of us. No other piece seems to fit so well in our fingers.
Also, take a close look at all the pieces. Which piece do you think takes the most effort to make? Right again. Why, advertisements for chess sets are always claiming that the knights are "beautifully hand carved", but mention nothing at all about the bishops. That's because they're all turned out on lathes like all the other pieces on the board. I've never seen a set advertised with the comment "beautifully hand carved bishops", have you? Obviously, then, more work goes into making the knight than any other piece on the board. There must be a reason.
Another thing. When someone is in time trouble, the piece they dread the most is...that’s right ...the knight! The worst thing that can befall someone the exchange ahead is the dreaded knight fork coming out of nowhere! Ugh, it's happened to me, and it's no fun. No sir.
So, when you get right down to it, there really is no contest. The question of which is the better piece doesn't even have to be asked. Now, if they could only learn to spell it without all those silent letters...
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