Two-Bishop Advantage
Submitted by WGM Natalia_Pogonina on Chess.com
Chess authors often use the term “two-bishop advantage” in their annotations. Today I would like to elaborate on this evergreen concept in more detail.The two-bishop advantage occurs when one side has two bishops, and the other – B+K or two knights. First of all, let’s talk about the bishop in general. As you probably know, a bishop is stronger than a knight in open positions, especially when playing on both sides of the board. This is connected with the knight’s limited mobility and the bishop’s ability to move swiftly and control the whole board (as opposed to a small section). Of course, this rule has its own exceptions, but it holds for most positions.
The main shortcoming of a bishop is that it can move only along squares of its own color, thus half the board is not available to it. On the contrary, two bishops are extremely powerful since together they can control the whole board. The two-bishop advantage is especially efficient when facing two knights. For example, check out the classical ending of a Botvinnik-Bronshtein game, 1951, Moscow.
To operate efficiently, bishops need open files. Thus one of the rules of thumb for a player who has two bishops is to open up the position. When central pawns are absent, bishops start controlling more diagonals simultaneously. Sometimes to clear up a diagonal we have to sacrifice material, e.g. a pawn or an exchange. The two-bishop advantage is often a sufficient compensation for the sacrificed material in these cases.
Here are the main techniques associated with exploiting the two-bishop advantage:
1) Attack on both sides
Knights are rather clumsy: they can participate in the fight only on one side of the board. If there is action all over the board, they have no time to come to the rescue. Therefore, it is a good idea to attack on both sides of an open board, thus obtaining an advantage in forces on one side of the board.
2) Exchanging the bishop
There was an old chess joke saying that “the best thing about having a two-bishop advantage is that you can exchange one of them.” This is indeed a useful technique of converting one type of advantage into another (i.e. giving the two-bishop advantage up for a material advantage or a more promising position).
Now, let us say we are on the wrong side of the equation: what can we do about the opponent’s mighty bishops?
1) Limit their mobility
Pawns are indispensable in this respect. Bishops detest long pawn chains which limit their mobility. Keep in mind that you can use either your own pawns, or force the opponent to arrange his pawns in an inferior way and hinder his own bishops. Another nice blocker is a knight that has a strong outpost, especially in the center.
2) Exchange one of the bishops
Sometimes it is possible to give up a knight/bishop or even a rook (positional exchange) for one of the opponent’s bishop brothers in order to defend successfully.
Let’s review a game I played at the Aeroflot Open-2011 against the reigning champion of Belorussia GM Andrey Zhigalko.
Zhigalko, A. (2566) vs. Pogonina, N. (2472)
Aeroflot open | Round 5| 12 Feb 2011 | ECO: C78 | 1/2-1/2
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. d3 Bd6 8. a4 O-O 9. c3 h6?! ( 9... Re8 10. Ng5 Rf8 11. Bxf7+ ( 11. axb5 axb5 12. Rxa8 Qxa8 13. Nxf7 Rxf7 14. Bxf7+ Kxf7 15. Qb3+ Kf8 16. Qxb5 Nd8 17. Be3 ) 11... Rxf7 12. Qb3 Qe8 13. axb5 Nd8 14. Be3 ) ( 9... Ne7 10. Nh4 Bc5 ) 10. Na3 ( 10. Nh4 b4 ( 10... Re8 11. Qf3 Bf8 12. Bxh6 gxh6 13. Qg3+ Kh8 14. Bxf7 ) ( 10... Ne7 11. Qf3 ) ( 10... Nxe4 11. axb5 axb5 12. Rxa8 Bxa8 13. Ng6 Nf6 14. Nxf8 ) 11. Nf5 bxc3 12. bxc3 Ne7 13. Nxd6 ( 13. Nxh6+ gxh6 14. Bxh6 Ng6 ( 14... Re8 15. Qf3 Ng6 16. Qg3 Re6 17. Bxe6 dxe6 18. Nd2 ) 15. Qf3 Be7 16. Bxf8 Qxf8 ) 14... cxd6 14. Ba3 d5 15. Nd2 Re8 ( 15... dxe4 16. Nxe4 Nxe4 ( 16... Bxe4 17. dxe4 Nxe4 18. Qe1 Nf6 19. Qxe5 ) 17. dxe4 Bxe4 18. Re1 Bf5 19. Rxe5 Be6 20. Bc2 ) 16. Re1 ) 10... Re8 11. Bd2 ( 11. Nh4 Bf8 ( 11... Nxe4? 12. Qh5 ) ) 11... Bxa3 ( 11... Na5 12. axb5 Nxb3 13. Qxb3 Bxa3 14. Rxa3 d5 ) 12. Rxa3 d5 ( 12... Na5 ) 13. axb5 axb5 14. Rxa8 Bxa8 15. exd5 Nxd5 ( 15... Na5 16. c4 Nxb3 17. Qxb3 bxc4 18. dxc4 c6 19. Re1 cxd5 ( 19... e4 20. Nd4 cxd5 21. c5 ) 20. Nxe5 Ne4 21. Bf4 g5 22. Bg3 Nd2 23. Qb5 dxc4 24. f3 ) 16. Re1 ( 16. Ba2 Qd7 17. Re1 Nf6 18. Qe2 Rd8 ( 18... Bb7 19. b4 ) 19. Nxe5 ( 19. Bb1!? ) 20... Nxe5 20. Qxe5 Qxd3 21. Be3 Qg6 22. Qg3 Qxg3 23. hxg3 ) 16... Nf6 17. Bc1 Bb7 18. h3 Bc8 19. d4 exd4 20. Rxe8+ Qxe8 ( 20... Nxe8 21. cxd4 ( 21. Nxd4 Nxd4 22. cxd4 Nd6 ) 21... Nd6 ) 21. cxd4 ( 21. Nxd4 Nxd4 22. cxd4 Bb7 ) 21... Qe4? ( 21... Na5 22. Bc2 ( 22. Ba2 Nc4 23. Bxc4 ( 23. b3?! Nd6 24. Ne5 Nd5 ) 24... bxc4 24. Ne5 Qb5 ) 22... Bb7 23. Ne5 ( 23. Bf4 Nc4 24. Ne5 Nd5 ( 24... Nxb2? 25. Qb1 ) 25. Bg3 Nxb2 26. Qb1 Na4 27. Bxa4 Nc3 28. Qc2 Nxa4 29. Qxc7 Bd5 ) 23... Nc4 24. Qe2 Qe6 ) 22. Bc2 Qe8 23. Bb3? ( 23. Bd3 Nb4 ( 23... b4 24. Bf4 Nd5 25. Bd2 ) 24. Bf1 c6 25. Qb3 Nbd5 26. Ne5 ) ( 23. Bf4 Nd5 24. Bg3 Nce7 ) 23... Qe4? 24. Qf1? Bb7? ( 24... Bxh3 25. Nd2 ( 25. Ne5 Nxd4 26. Bxf7+ Kf8 ) 25... Qg6 ) 25. Be3 Nd5 26. Nd2 ( 26. Qxb5 Nxe3 27. Qxb7 ( 27. fxe3 Qxe3+ 28. Kh1 Nd8 29. Bd5 Bxd5 30. Qxd5 Qc1+ 31. Kh2 Ne6 ) 28... Qb1+ 28. Kh2 Nf1+ 29. Kg1 Ne3+ ) 26... Nxe3 27. Bxf7+ Kf8 ( 27... Kxf7?? 28. fxe3+ ) 28. fxe3 ( 28. Nxe4 Nxf1 29. Bd5! b4 ) 28... Qxe3+ 29. Kh1 Ke7 30. Bd5 Qxd2 ( 30... Nd8 31. Bxb7 Nxb7 32. Qxb5 ( 32. Nf3 Nd6 ) 32... Qxd2 33. Qxb7 Qc1+ 34. Kh2 Qf4+ 35. g3 Qf2+ 36. Qg2 Qxd4 ) 31. Qf7+ Kd8 32. Qg8+ ( 32. Be6? Qxg2+! 33. Kxg2 Ne5+ ) 32... Ke7 33. Qf7+ Kd8 34. Qg8+ Ke7 35. Qf7+
No comments:
Post a Comment