Description
Bishop or knight?
An eternal dilemma that has been born over many decades and continues to this day. Many GMs over the years have tried to answer this question. Some argue for the officer some for the horse. The truth ultimately probably lies somewhere in the middle!
There are some niche characteristics that can help us choose which piece is best. As an indication we can mention some below:
- The knight is better in closed positions while the bishop is better in open positions
- Knights are better when the pawns are on the same side of the board in the endgame
- Bishops can dominate the knights on the edge of the board
- A pair of bishops is usually better than a pair of knights
- Bishops gain power by controlling large diagonals while knights love maneuvers and specific squares
Of course as in everything in chess there are exceptions. Certainly, a bishop can dominate even in a blocked position if the controlled diagonal is important. Further, the knight can dominate in open positions. The structure of the pawns also plays a decisive role. It is also very important to be able to understand the possible finishes and ultimately make a decision based on that.
In this book (volume 1) the author Boroljub Zlatanovic answers all the above questions and many more! He presents the reader with the direct battle between the officer and the horse. It can be seen as a prelude to volume 2 where more complex battles are presented as more pieces are added to the battle!
There is no doubt that if you carefully analyse the material in both volumes, you will understand both the basics and the advanced finishes. You will discover many qualities about the battle between the bishop and knight that will open up new horizons in your chess understanding!
You can find volume 2 by clicking HERE.
