What is Fianchetto?

What is Fianchetto?

Fianchetto in chess refers to the development of a bishop behind your Knight’s pawn to control the long diagonal.

“FIANCHETTO” is an Italian word, meaning “LITTLE FLANK“.

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Let’s talk about what fianchettoing a bishop means?

It is when the player positions one or both bishop diagonally behind his Knight pawns (see example above)

This means that the bishop has now been maneuvered to an active position to control the long diagonal as well as control the center.

You can use either/both your King or/and Queenside bishop to make a fianchetto.

Sometimes, players use both of the bishops to slow down the progress of the rival, pressurize the opponent, control the center by taking the full power of their fianchettoed bishops.

Note: What is Double Fianchetto? A double fianchetto is the same as a Fianchetto, only it’s done by both bishops rather than just one, that’s why it’s called a double fianchetto.