Editing Chess strategy (section)

==== Bishops ====
{{Main|Bishop (chess)|l1=Bishop}}
In general, bishops and knights are of roughly equal value. When bishops are blocked in by pawns, as seen in closed positions, knights are typically superior for their ability to hop over pawn chains. In open positions where bishops have good {{chessgloss|scope}}, knights are often inferior—{{chessgloss|outpost}} knights are a common exception.

Bishops have superior mobility to knights, but that mobility is restricted to (and thus focused on) colors of a single square. As a result, lacking a bishop weakens one's ability to exert control over and parry threats from the deprived color complex, though there may be compensation in the form of tactical or positional assets, or from possible countermeasures, such as placing one's pawns on the color of the lost bishop. Bishops complement each other well, and a retained {{chessgloss|bishop pair}} is often a strength, especially in open positions.

''[[Fianchetto]]ed'' bishops can keep a king under them well defended, though if the bishop is traded off, the fianchetto pawn structure is especially vulnerable to infiltration on the squares no longer controlled by the bishop.

Despite their openness, in endgames, bishops are usually considered equal to knights. Endgames in which the two sides have [[Opposite-colored bishops endgame|bishops on opposite colors]] are frequently drawish, even when one side has one or two more pawns than the other.

A king and a bishop are not sufficient material to checkmate an opposing lone king, but two bishops and a king can checkmate an opposing lone king easily. A [[Bishop and knight mate|king, bishop, and knight]] can also force mate; this is considered the most difficult forcible checkmate against a lone king.