Piece Power is the name of an out of print book written by Grandmaster Peter Wells.
It is a short book, just 109 pages, making it an easy read. It is filled with examples from Grandmaster games.
Here I am showing you the games from Chapter 1 - Bishop Power:
https://www.chess.com/games/view/209235
This is one of the most perfect games I have seen in respect to having moves played almost exactly like Stockfish plays them. Karpov is rated 99.5% CAPS (Hort 95.3%)
Looking at moves 28 onwards. White has a 'good' bishop whereas Black has a 'bad' bishop. This is the main difference between the two sides and results in a win for White.
Moves 28.f3 through to 33...Nd7 are all the best computer moves
Wells credits Karpov's move 32. b4! noting that it 'fixes' the a-pawn on the a6 square ensuring:
1. That it remains backward
2. That black's bishop remains 'bad'.
34.f4 is rated by Analysis as Excellent, and 34...Nf8 as good with Nb6 calculated as Best.
Wells also say Hort's move 36...Ne6 is a serious mistake, because it simplifies White's strategic goal.
The stockfish engine agrees with Wells that 36...Ne6 is a mistake.
Wells also credits Karpov's bishop move 42.Bb3! saying Karpov's best games read like an instruction book.
By 44.Bf3! we reach zugswang.
Note that when Black resigns, the material count is exactly even!
Wells suggests the game could have continued 45...Be6 46. Bxe6 Kxe6 47. g4! Kd6 48. a3!
The computer calculates 45. Bg4 Kc7 46. a3 Kd6 47. Bc8 Kc6 48. Ke5 Kb6 49. Bg4 a5 50. Bf3 axb4 51.axb4 Kc6 52. g3 Bg8 53. Kf6
Then the book looks at a specific position from Alekhine - Teichmann, Berlin GER, rd 4, Jun-08 1921 Spanish Game: Open Variations. Classical Defense
Looking at move 27, Wells asks
Q: "Who stands better and why?" and
Q: "What should Black play?"
The answer is White stands better despite being a pawn down, because of his superior bishop in conjunction with White's mobile Queenside pawn majority.
Black should play 27...e4+!
The full game is here: https://www.chess.com/games/view/14474
Wells also discusses Sherwin v Fischer, 1966
He credits Fischer for his knight and bishop moves
30...Bc7!
33...Nxe4!
36...Nf6!
37...Bd8!
44...Bf4!
This chapter also features the games
At move 35, Wells asks:
Q. How did Tal brilliantly reveal the weakness of Black's pawn chain?
Clue: Do not be afraid to sacrifice material, but if you just want to capture twice on e5 with the white knights, be aware that this will let Black's queen back into the defence.
And Fischer - Petrosian in the Candidate tournament in Buenos Aires in 1971
16. Bc5! exchanges off Black's 'good' bishop and emphasizes White's control of the dark squares.
At 43.a4 Wells says White's position is clearly preferable due to more active rook and his well posted bishop on e5. He gives advice from Mark Dvoretsky for White to play:
1) h3-h4
2) Exchange pawns on e4
3) The spendidly counter-intuitive g2-g3!!
4) Be5-f4, followed by marching the king over the queenside via c2, b3, c4 and b5.
The next examples of strong bishops are
D.Gurevich-Micheal Adams, Biel IZ 1993
Lobron-Portisch, Wijk aan Zee 1985
K.Arkell-Ward, British Ch (Dundee) 1993
This is the name of a book written by Peter Wells in 1994. It is no longer in print but there are some second hand copies still in circulation.
It was published by Batsford as part of their Think Like a Chess Master series.