Power of the Bishop Pair

It is always advantageous when you have two Bishops working together.   This phenomenon, known in the chess world as the Bishop Pair, has been proven in countless grandmaster battles.  This post is an example.

DAVID JANOWSKI vs. FRITZ SAMISCH
Marienbad, Germany, 1925

1. d4, Nf6
2. Nf3, e6
3. Bg5, c5
4. e3, Nc6
5. Nd2, b6
6. c3, Bb7
7. Bd3, cxd4
8. exd4, Be7
9. Nc4, 0-0
10. Qc2, Qc7
11. h4, h6
12. Qd2, Ng4

After 12.....hxg5 13. hxg5, White's attack would be devastating along the h-file.

13. Bf4, d6
14. Ne3, Nxe3
15. Qxe3, h5
16. Rh3, e5
17. dxe5, Nxe5
18. Nxe5, dxe5
19. Bxe5, Bd6
20. Qh6!! ....

 Black resigns.  White's Queen cannot be captured because of the threat Rg3+.

If 20....f6, then White's attack would be relentless:  21. Qh7 Kf7, 22. Bg6+ Ke6, 23. Bxd6 Kxd6, 24. 0-0-0 ...

Amazing game.

To view the game in PGN format, you may visit  Janowski vs. Samisch.

The Power of Two Bishops

The Bishop Pair is one of the most powerful weapons in chess arsenal. In the hands of a master, two efficiently coordinating Bishops can create havoc along open files.

JANOWSKI vs. SCHALLOPP
Nuremberg 1896

Queen's Gambit Accepted

1. d4, d5
2. c4, dxc4
3. Nf3, c5
4. e3, cxd4
5. exd4, Bg4
6. Bxc4 ....

White threatens 7. Bxf7 Kxf7, 8. Ne5+.

6. .... e6
7. Qa4+, Nc6

White readily exploits the absence of Black's Bishop along the a4-e8 diagonal.  If Black replies 7....Nd7, there follows 8. Ne5 N8f6, 9. Bg5! Bf5, 10. Nxd7 Qxd7, 11. Bb5 winning the Queen.

8. Ne5, Qxd4
9. Nxc6, Qe4+
10. Be3, bxc6

Of course not 10....Qxc6 because of 11. Bb5 winning the Queen.

11. Nc3, Qxg2
12. Bd5!! ....

This beauty of a move drives off the Black Queen and spearheads an attack on the opponent King.  Black is obliged to take down the Bishop.

12. .... exd5
13. Qxc6+, Kd8

If 13....Ke7, then 14. Nxd5+ Kd8, 15. Qxa8 and Black can resign.

14. Qxa8+, Kd7
15. Qb7+, Ke6
16. Qc6+, Bd6
17. Bf4, Resigns

There is no way to prevent 18. Qxd6+.  If 17....Qxh1+, 18. Kd2 Qxa1, 19. Qxd6+ Kf5, 20. Qe5+ Kg6, 21. Qg5 mate.

The Four Knights' Game

The Four Knights' Game, as the name suggests, is characterized by the early deployment of knights on both sides of the board. Here, we have a game that also emphasizes the importance of having two bishops working side by side against the enemy King. Few forces in chess are more powerful than two smoothly coordinating Bishops.

Some players think that a Bishop is just equivalent to a Knight. Maybe. But two Bishops are much more powerful than two Knights working in tandem. Here is a game that illustrates that principle.

BELSITZMANN vs. RUBINSTEIN
Warsaw, 1917

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nc6
3. Nc3, Nf6
4. Bb5, Nd4!

In the event of 5. Nxe5 in reply to his last move, Black would continue 5. ......Qe7, 6. f4 Nxb5, 7. Nxb5 d6 with a good game.

5. Bc4, Bc5
6. Nxe5, Qe7!

A tricky move. If White plays 7. Bxf7 he will come out with a piece down after 7. .....Kd8. And on 7. Nxf7 d5!, 8. Nxh8 dxc4 Black will eventually confiscate the wayward Knight.

7. Nd3 ? .....

White condemns the Knight to uselessness and also blocks his Queen Pawn, and consequently the development of his Queen Bishop. Surely 7. Nf3 was in order.

7. .....d5!

After 8. Nxc5 dxc4! White's advanced Knight would be in a bad way.

8. Nxd5, Qxe4+
9. Ne3, Bd6
10. 0-0, b5!

In return for his sacrificed Pawn Black is achieving a magnificent development. The energetic text move prepares for .... Bb7.

11. Bb3, Bb7
12. Ne1, Qh4!

By threatening mate at h2 Black forces a weakening of White's kingside pawn structure. This enhances the long-range striking power of the Black Bishops.

13. g3, Qh3
14. c3 ......

14. ...... h5!

The coming devastation at h file must be decisive.

15. cxd4, h4!

Black threatens hxg3 with immediate disaster for White. White can try to avoid this by putting up a defense along the second rank. but even this is doomed to failure. For example: 16. f3 hxg3, 17. Qe2 gxh2, 18. Kh1 Nh5!,  19. Nf5+ Kf8, 20. Rf2 Re8,  21. Qf1 Rxe1, 22. Qxe1 Qxf3!, 23. Rxf3 Bxf3 mate.

16. Qe2, Qxh2+

White resigns, for after 17. Kxh2 hxg3 dbl ch, 18. Kg1 Rh1 mate. Note the artful way in which Black combined the power of both Bishops to control the board diagonals.

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