A crucial element of opposite-bishop middlegames is that your heavy pieces coordinate with your bishop. Here White has no clear targets yet. Notice that every one of Black’s pawns is on the same color as his bishop.
When can I trade my bishop for rook?
A rook is generally more valuable than a bishop because: it can reach all squares of the board, while a bishop can stay only on squares of the same color. it can mate in KR vs K, while you cannot win KB vs K.
What to do with Bishops in opposite colors?
Edmar Mednis gives two principles for endgames with bishops on opposite colors: If a player is down material he should look for drawing chances in an endgame with only the bishops and pawns. With major pieces ( queen or rook) on the board, having bishops on opposite colors favors the side with an attack ( Mednis 1990 :75).
What happens in the opposite colored bishop endgame?
The opposite-colored bishops endgame is a chess endgame in which each side has a single bishop, but the bishops reside on opposite-colored squares on the chessboard, thus cannot attack or block each other. Without other (but with pawns) these endings are notorious for their tendency to result in a draw.
What happens if black bishop pushes white bishop?
The defending bishop must maintain an attack on the pawn on the same color square as itself, so that the attacking king is not allowed to advance. If White pushes the other (unattacked) pawn, Black’s bishop sacrifices itself for both pawns, with a draw. (If the second pawn is protected and advances instead, the position is also a draw.)
When do you have only bishops and pawns in chess?
With major pieces ( queen or rook) on the board, having bishops on opposite colors favors the side with an attack ( Mednis 1990 :75). Ian Rogers gives three principles when there are only the bishops and pawns:
