Knights vs Bishops: The Battle of the Minor Pieces!
Today I'll try to provide you all a short post on which minor piece of the 2 is the favorable one. A day different from today, I'll give you guys profiles on both, with long running additions to both minor pieces, as in one blog post you can only cover so much. For now I'll try to do my best in giving you not an answer to lie on to, but a perspective to adopt, having an impact on hopefully all of your future games with my upcoming posts on these magnificent minor pieces, so without further ado let the show commence!
Knights vs Bishops!
Knights leap and prance all around the board, nothing can hide from it, castles will be demolished and no pieces are safe. Nobody can tell what the maniac will do next! Bishops have got the gift of speed, going from one corner of the chess board to another in a single move!! Bishops vs Knights in this ultimate minor piece faceoff?
Most people already have their preferences, and intermediate-advanced players should've learned the basics, fundamentals and maybe even the advanced tactics(positional understanding) of each minor piece, and the relative value they have in positions, along with the way they each have a mighty role in the openings and middle game plans. Tigran Petrosian, solid super gm of the 20th century probably had 50 pet horses in his house, and many famous theorists have a bias for these creatures, and well amateurs/beginners simply fear knights more than bishops in most cases, with them being quite trickier and usually more tactical. On the other hand, Bobby Fischer, american superstar and chess genius was perhaps the greatest supporter of bishops ever seen in the chess world, and the vast majority of elite level grandmasters prefer these speed demons to knights. In any case, whatever one's bias or preference may be, you have to be able to use these pieces to their maximum potential and know how to set one against another. Fischer preferred bishops to knights, but that wouldn't stop the man from winning a knight vs bishop battle whenever he needed to, and when the position called for one. The same can be said for people who practically worship knights. When these horse lovers find themselves in a open position, the chances are that the bishop will end up being their choice of weapon. In the end, the real or relative value of the minor pieces is solely based on the imbalances of the position. Imbalances are the notable differences in the 2 relevant positions on the board. These 'differences' include minor pieces, pawn structure, space, material, king safety and initiative. More advanced imbalances include file control, weak squares and statics vs dynamics.
When the position is closed? Knights are usually the choice. Are you looking down at the board with a position of connected running passed pawns? The bishop usually takes the cake(although knights are objectively the better pawn blockader by far). And finally, which minor piece would you be choosing in a position where it's completely essential to have access to both color squares - bishops can only fight on a single color complex, so a knight is the only way to go. This particular imbalance - the battle of minor pieces - both of them with their own set of pros and cons - is a specific preference of mine in the vast game of chess among other imbalances. When I control a knight, I will do my best to indent knight factors onto the board so that the eventual battle between the enemy bishop would be favoring me. When I control a bishop, I will do everything in my power to make the board position advantageous or beneficial for my bishop, or in other words, 'bishop friendly' because for all level players you have to always remember to improve the lives of your minor pieces, and make sure that all of them are pulling their own weight alongside the rest of your army, also bringing up the phrase in which you should trade your bad minor pieces for your opponents good pieces, which is a whole new set of imbalance training, only meant to be touched by class c+ players.
Having the capabilities to construct a strong and favorable position for your minor piece(s) will set you apart from the other lower rated players. Always look for future prospects of the position, and ensure every move you make doesn't harm your position or your minor pieces. Look for positional transformations and be able to decipher the board well enough to look out for your white or black pieced army. For your upcoming games, remember these critical points in all minor piece battles upon the board: Have the awareness that there is, or eventually will be a Bishop vs Knight battle on the board which is why you should always remain prepared with your knowledge! Have the awareness and understanding of all the imbalances and how they relate to the minor piece(s) you and your opponents own/control. This takes time and practice, but you will eventually get there with diligent training everyday(put aside a time for chess!(it's the only way to get better!))And finally, last but not least, manage to construct a position/situation on the board that your minor piece, be it a bishop or a knight yearns, covets and seeks for - and you will succeed!!!
