Imbalances and Bishop vs Knight

Imbalances: the static and dynamic differences.

List of imbalances

#

• Minor pieces: the interplay between Bishops and Knights
• Pawn structure: doubled/isolated/backward/passed pawns, islands.
• Space
• Material
• Files and squares: files, ranks and diagonals act as pathway, while squares act as homes.
• Development: this is a temporary balance.
• Initiative: also temporary.

Bishop vs Knights

#

It’s the most important imbalance of the game.

Basic rules of minor pieces

#

1. Both worth 3 points. It’s up to you to manipulate the position to make your piece more valuable.
2. Bishops are best in open position, where pawns don’t block their diagonals.
3. Bishops are strong in end games where both sides have passed pawns: the long range ability to control.
4. “Bad” bishop is the one having same color with your center pawn. However bad Bishop can still be active.
5. Bishop’s weakness is it can only control one color. A pair of bishops is very strong.
6. Knights love closed positions and locked pawns. The ability to jump over other pieces make them valuable.
7. Knights are usually better in the center.
8. Knights needs secure, advanced homes to be effective. (6th rank is the best!)
9. Knights are superior in end game if pawns are on one side.
10. Best way to fight Knights is to remove their advanced support points.

Example games

#

Silman-Gross: Quiet position

#

In this position, the imbalance is Bishop vs Knight. So, white’s plans are:

1. Limiting black’s Knight’s advance points, by b-pawn pushes.
2. Moving his Bishop to a better diagonal(e3).

The key here is to understand the position, stick to the plan(improving the pieces), and not get distracted.

Fisher-Taimanov: Act quick

#

In this position, the imbalances are: 1. Bishop vs Knight and 2.Pawn majority on Queen side

Black is attacking h4. But if we focus on imbalance, we’ll see that, Black’s Knight has a perfect home at c5, where:

1. It’s a hole, and a light square, so White’s dark bishop has no way to kick it away.
2. It blocks white’s pawns on Queen side(and attacks them), making his pawn majority useless.

With the vision of such imbalance, White’s priority is to stop the Knight, use his queen side majority. White’s idea is to create a passed pawn.(Majority, and Black’s pawn is pinned) Sacrificing h4 on King’s side is not big deal: white’s Queen’s side can win him this game.

ALl the imbalances shows white should act on queen side, instead of defending h4:

• Knight vs Bishop: Stop Knight from getting to c5.
• Knight vs Bishop: White’s Bishop is supporting Queen side’s pawn push.
• Pawn majority: White has pawn majority on Queen side, and there’s chance to attack.

The game between C players

#

This game has lots of doubious moves, but is a good lesson on imbalance, and how not to play.

Choice: Close position or take away Knight’s square

#

No rule is correct all the time. For example, in a BvN game, a move that takes away Knight’s square may also close the position. What do you do?

Chess.com lesson

Correct play is NOT to kick the Knight: it closes the position and dimnishes the Bishops. Black should open us the position instead, by f7-f6 to support e6-e5.

• The game with annotation: We can see that, once the position is open, White’s Knight becomes a weak point, requiring defending, while Black’s Bishops+Rooks are all activated.

Same position, Silman v 1700, with incorrect play(kicking the Knight): The 1700 student is too obsessed with checkmate threats, instead of trying to slowly improve the position.

Limiting the Knight when you have a Bishop pair

#

In the Hort’s game, white has pair of bishop. Black’s Knight has no chance on the Queenside, and white follows up with g5 and g4 to lock the King side.

Which piece to keep?

#

In this position, black has 3 choices:

• 1... Rc5

  for a R+N v R+B endgame

• 1... Nxe4

  for a pure Rook endgame

• 1... Rd4

  for a Knight vs Bishop endgame