The good, the bad, and the ugly...... bishops

Sort:
Euphonium_guy4

We all tend to have a good bishop, and a bad bishop. Sometimes a bad bishop is not nessesarily a bad thing.

 

But what about those weird, not-by-the book games where you encounter an ugly bishop? A game so weird that all of the pieces, and squares just seem to be bizzaire? These games do not come often, for sure, but they are certainly fun to play.

 

Let me show you what I mean.

Egad! I was playing black. Sure I am up a piece, but my position is so weird! My bishop on a3???? Is it good? No, it got blocked when I triple ranked my c-file to get a knight. Is it bad? No. It is ahead of the pawn structure, and is taking quite a command at the 5 squares it controls. I am preventing white from taking to much of a command of the b file, and backing up my 2nd d-pawn. (White ended up taking it anyway, much to my pleasure, because I got my ugly bishop out of that mess, and I only had a double-rank.)
 
I hope you all have advice for me on how to play abstract games such as this.
 
What do I do with a bishop such as the one on c1?
babytrex

If you mean your bishop on a3 I wouldn't get rid of it. If you really wanted to move it, I would trade down white's center pawns (a good plan already) and create an escape route for him. Your bishop doesn't need to be moved however, as it is controlling the week c1 square. In this strict position though, your bishop will be freed once you trade down your opponents pawns, getting rid of those ugly tripled pawns and destroying his chance at a strong center (if there ever was one.) 

 

Note - A tall pawn is something you should look up. Strategically, some players will sacrifice a pawn or more to create a tall pawn for the opponent, which surves no purpose but to stand in the way of your other pieces. If you have a tall pawn, try to trade your blocked bishop for a corresponding piece or at least attempt to free it up, even in the loss, if it may be, of small material. 

 

Cheers.

Legally-Blonde
PowerfulPawn007 wrote:

I've never heard of an ugly bishop..

i've never heard of a handsome one.

VULPES_VULPES

I've never heard "tall pawn" or "triple-rank". I just know "doubled pawns".

babytrex

A tall pawn is a bishop that cannot escape from it's surrounding pawns, therefore surving no purpose but to protect it's pawns like any other pawn. Tripled pawns are three pawns all on the same file.

babytrex
[COMMENT DELETED]
solomonko

noted; a tall pawn