Good bishop, bad bishop
Capablanca
A bishop whose own pawns stand on its colour becomes "bad": locked in behind them. A knight can be far stronger.
Key ideas
- Put your pawns on the opposite colour to your bishop.
- Trade your bad bishop if you can.
- Steer your knight to a square the enemy bishop can't reach.
When to use it
In closed structures like the French Defense, when the pawns are locked.