Fianchetto - What Is It And What Does It Mean In Chess?

Fianchetto is an Italian word that means "little side" or "little flank." But what does it mean in chess?

You may have recently been learning an opening, and seen that there is a fianchetto variation. Almost every opening has a fianchetto variation. I still haven't said what it means yet, so let me explain.

In the game of chess, fianchetto means that you develop your bishop one square diagonally to the outside, pushing it in front of where the knight starts at the beginning of the game. Up above is an image and an example of a fianchetto variation of an opening. As you can see, the bishop has moved one square to the left, being in front of where the knight starts, and then black decides to castle. The arrows represent where the bishops are, so you can see them easier, and also represent where they can attack. Fianchetto - What Is It

A fianchetto opening can be useful in some cases, especially if your opponent forgets that your bishop is there and opens up an opportunity to take their rook. In the game of chess, doing a trade of pieces where you give up a bishop and your opponent gives up their rook is actually super beneficial for you. You can checkmate with a rook and a king in the endgame, but it is impossible to checkmate with a bishop and a king. 

Chess is a game of skill, and without a rook, sometimes your opponent panics and ends up costing themselves the game. This is why a fianchetto opening can be very powerful. Don't always do a fianchetto in your games, just ever so often throw it in, especially if you're playing with a friend. Please comment on this post and tell me what other terms you need me to explain.