31 Mar 04
Originally posted by The King of QueensThere is no right or wrong to your question ...
Hi.
I know people always say that Knights and Bishops have the same value but I would like to know which one you like more and why.
1. A pair of bishops is generally stronger then 2 knights
2. A single bishop is generally weaker then 1 knight
3. Bishops are stronger in open games
4. Knights are stronger in closed positions
All these four points are very general suggestions, it really depends on the position you are in
Regards
The Slow Pawn
31 Mar 04
Originally posted by The Slow PawnI know that sometimes knights are stronger and sometimes bishops but if you had to choose either a knight or a bishop and you wouldnt know what kind of game it would be which one would you pick?
There is no right or wrong to your question ...
1. A pair of bishops is generally stronger then 2 knights
2. A single bishop is generally weaker then 1 knight
3. Bishops are stronger in open games
4. Knights are stronger in closed positions
All these four points are very general suggestions, it really depends on the position you are in
Regards
The Slow Pawn
31 Mar 04
Originally posted by The King of QueensHere's a question for you: Suppose you've the black pieces and you don't know what white's first move will be. What opening would you play?
I know that sometimes knights are stronger and sometimes bishops but if you had to choose either a knight or a bishop and you wouldnt know what kind of game it would be which one would you pick?
I don't know how to answer this question, because my defensive preferences are predicated upon my knowing what white has done. If they play 1. e4, I generally respond with 1...c5. If they play 1.d4, I generally play 1...Nf6, and so on. It makes little sense to ask for my defensive preferences independent of white's first move. Similarly, it makes little sense to ask people who are proficient at chess whether they prefer the knight or bishop independent of the context of a game. In a closed game, with the board generally congested and the diagonals blocked, the knights are generally better. In an open game with long diagonals, the bishops are generally better, especially if you've both of them.
02 Apr 04
Originally posted by The Slow PawnCan't agree here. In open and half open positions, there is a plan for extracting the advantage of B vs N. See the following game (Pachman gives this as an example):
There is no right or wrong to your question ...
2. A single bishop is generally weaker then 1 knight
[Event "SWZ ct <Pachman>"]
[Site "SWZ ct <Pachman>"]
[Date "1953.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Najdorf Miguel"]
[Black "G Stahlberg"]
[ECO "D67"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "110"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7
5.e3 Nbd7 6.Nf3 O-O 7.Rc1 c6 8.Bd3 dxc4
9.Bxc4 Nd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Ne4 e5 12.O-O exd4
13.Qxd4 N7b6 14.Bb3 Bg4 15.Ng3 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Qf6
17.Qxf6 Nxf6 18.Nf5 Rad8 19.Rfd1 Nc8 20.Kf1 Rfe8
21.Ke2 Kf8 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.Rg1 Ne8 24.Rg4 Ne7
25.Nxe7 Kxe7 26.Re4+ Kf8 27.Ra4 a6 28.Rf4 f6
29.Rh4 h6 30.Rh5 Nc7 31.f4 Ke7 32.Rc5 Rd6
33.Rc1 b6 34.f5 c5 35.f4 Rc6 36.a4 b5
37.Bc2 Ne8 38.Be4 Rc7 39.Bd5 c4 40.e4 Nd6
41.axb5 axb5 42.Ke3 Ra7 43.Rg1 Kf8 44.Kd4 Rc7
45.Rc1 Nb7 46.Ra1 Nc5 47.Ra8+ Ke7 48.e5 Nb3+
49.Kc3 Nc1 50.Rg8 Ne2+ 51.Kd2 Nxf4 52.Rxg7+ Kd8
53.exf6 Rd7 54.Rxd7+ Kxd7 55.Bc6+ 1-0
After futzing around, Najdorf with 34. f5 begins to execute the classic plan of hampering the Knight's mobility. The idea is to squeeze the knight to a side or corner, then use the Bishop's ability to attack on two sides of the board at once to create a passed pawn or some other winning endgame. Play it through, it's instructive.