Same-colored bishops

Same-colored bishops means that both remaining bishops travel on light squares or both travel on dark squares. The label does not refer to the pieces being White or Black. Unlike opposite-colored bishops, these bishops can confront each other, be exchanged, and contest the same diagonals, blockades, and pawns.

In bishop-and-pawn endings, a small advantage is often easier to convert than with opposite-colored bishops because the defender cannot build a blockade on a color the attacking bishop can never reach. That does not mean a small advantage wins by itself: these endings can still offer stubborn resistance. King activity, entry squares, passed pawns, which have no enemy pawns ahead on their own file or either neighboring file, and the possibility of exchanging bishops remain central.

A useful guideline is to keep friendly pawns on squares opposite the bishop's color when the position allows it. They then avoid blocking its diagonals and are often harder for the enemy bishop to attack. A bishop restricted by its own pawns on its color is commonly called a bad bishop. In closed positions, a spare tempo, a saved waiting move, or mutual zugzwang, where either side worsens its position by having to move, may determine which king or bishop yields first.