Bishop

The bishop moves any number of squares along a diagonal, a chain of squares that touch corner to corner. It cannot jump: a friendly piece stops its path, while an enemy piece may be captured by finishing on that piece's square.

Each player begins with two bishops. One is a light-squared bishop and the other a dark-squared bishop. Because every diagonal move leads to a square of the same color, each bishop is restricted to thirty-two of the board's sixty-four squares. The two bishops complement one another because together they can operate on both colors.

A bishop is a minor piece, the category containing bishops and knights, and is commonly valued at roughly three pawns. That comparison is a practical guide, not a rule. Its strength depends heavily on open diagonals: from a long diagonal, one crossing much of the board, it can influence distant areas, while a chain of pieces or pawns can leave it with almost no movement.