How to Move the Bishop in Chess
Chess for Beginners
How to Move the Pieces in Chess:
How to Move the Bishop in Chess
Learning how to move the bishops in chess involves understanding the bishops.
Back in the midevil times, the bishop wore s special hat which set him apart from the others. Unlike other pieces as well, the King & Queen often consulted with the bishop on important decisions, so it is safe to say he had the ear of the royalty.
Just like in the midevil times, as the bishop was near the King & Queen, the bishop remains close to the King & Queen, positioned next to both pieces, remaining close in contact.
How to Move a Bishop in Chess
Similar to the rook, who moves across the board horizontally, the bishop can also move across the board. However, the bishop moves across the chess board diagonally in all directions as many spaces are available.
How to Move the Bishop in Chess
- The bishop moves diagonally forward or backward, as many squares as possible.
- The bishop can attack any enemy piece that stands on the direct path of his diagonal move.
- The bishop cannot move past a player of his own side.
How to Capture with the Bishop in Chess:
Note in the photo below, the bishop (white piece) can attack the knight (dark piece). 
Maneuvering the Bishop: Note in the photo below, the bishop on the right can only move diagonally to the left, as his pawn is blocking him on the right.* 
The bishop can be a highly valuable piece in the game of chess. The bishop is an essential piece for Scholar’s Mate (4 move checkmate), as well as capturing enemy pieces across the chessboard.
In the photo below, you can see the bishop has a wide open move to capture the rook. This diagonal capture of the rook is very common in the game of chess, and a critical loss for your opponent!
(*Also be sure to prevent this attack from happening to you by keeping a pawn or another piece protecting your rooks when they are cornered in their starting position on the chessboard.*)
Notes About the Bishop & How to Move the Bishop in Chess
- One bishop always remains on the dark squares. One bishop always remains on the light.
- The bishop is an important piece when winning the game in 4 moves with the 4 move checkmate (Scholar’s Mate) as well as the 2 move checkmate
- The bishop has a value of “3”, the same as the knight.
