The Bishop Pair Advantage: Learn from Steinitz's 1883 Masterclass

Want to understand one of chess's most powerful strategic advantages? The bishop pair - having both bishops while your opponent has bishop and knight or two knights - is a game-changing asset that can transform equal positions into winning ones.

Today, we'll analyze one of the most instructive games in chess history: Wilhelm Steinitz vs Berthold English, 1883. This game perfectly demonstrates why the first world chess champion was considered a revolutionary strategist and theorist.

Why study old games? As an elite chess coach in the top 1% globally, I often use classical games because players defended less precisely back then, making strategic themes clearer. Modern grandmasters know these patterns and defend better, but understanding the underlying principles remains crucial for improvement.

What You'll Master in This Bishop Pair Guide

• Why the bishop pair is so powerful in open positions
• Strategic principles for maximizing bishop pair advantage
• Pawn structure concepts that support or hinder bishops
• Practical conversion techniques from advantage to victory
• When to trade pieces to enhance your bishop pair
• Endgame mastery with bishops vs knight

Wilhelm Steinitz: The Father of Positional Chess

Wilhelm Steinitz (1836-1900) was chess's first official world champion and revolutionized how we understand the game. Before Steinitz, chess was mostly tactical warfare. He introduced:

• Long-term strategic planning
• Positional evaluation principles
• The theory of weaknesses and strengths
• Systematic piece coordination

His games with the bishop pair became textbook examples that every chess player should study.

The Game: Steinitz vs English, 1883

Opening: Spanish Opening with a Twist

The game began with the Spanish Opening (Ruy Lopez):

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6

Steinitz plays the unconventional 3...g6, planning to fianchetto his bishop on g7

Steinitz's 3...g6 was one of his favorite moves. The idea:

• Bishop to g7 controlling the long diagonal
• Pressure on White's center from a distance
• Flexible pawn structure allowing various plans

4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7

Black's bishop on g7 eyes the white knight on d4

The Critical Decision: Developing vs Centralizing

Instead of the natural 5...Nf6, Steinitz played the sophisticated 5...Ne7!?

This move looks odd because:

• Knight moves twice in the opening
• Knight retreats instead of developing forward

But Steinitz had a brilliant plan: ...d5! to liquidate White's center and gain space for his bishops.

Key Principle: Sometimes violating opening principles is justified if you have a concrete strategic plan.

Gaining the Bishop Pair

After 6.Qd2 d5! 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Nxc6 Qxd5

Black's queen is powerfully centralized, and the position is opening up

Steinitz deliberately allowed his pawn structure to be compromised to:

• Centralize his queen with tempo
• Open the position for his bishops
• Prevent White from maintaining a strong center

Why the Bishop Pair Dominates Here

After further moves, we reach this critical position:

Black has achieved the perfect setup for bishop pair dominance

Why Black is better:

1. Open position - bishops thrive when files and diagonals are clear
2. No stable central outpost for White's knight
3. Pawn structure on light squares constrains White's light-squared bishop
4. Space advantage allows bishops to operate freely

Strategic Principles of the Bishop Pair

Principle 1: Bishops Excel in Open Positions

When positions have:

• Few central pawns blocking diagonals
• Multiple pawn exchanges creating space
• Long-range planning rather than tactical skirmishes

The bishops become increasingly powerful as they can influence both sides of the board simultaneously.

Principle 2: Deny the Knight Stable Outposts

A knight needs secure central squares to compete with bishops. In our game, Black prevented this by:

• Controlling d4 with the c5 pawn
• Maintaining pressure on any knight attempts to centralize
• Using bishop pair to create multiple threats

Example of knight dominance neutralized:

When a knight secures d4 with pawn support, it can match the bishops

Principle 3: Place Pawns on the Opponent's Bishop Color

Advanced strategy: When you have the bishop pair advantage, place your pawns on the color of your opponent's remaining bishop.

Why this works:

• Blocks the opposing bishop's activity
• Your bishops operate on complementary colors
• Opponent cannot create counterplay on the restricted color

In our game, Black's pawns on c5, f5, g5, h6 are all on light squares, restricting White's light-squared bishop while leaving the dark squares free for Black's dark-squared bishop.

Converting the Advantage: Steinitz's Technique

Phase 1: Maximum Piece Activity

Key position after Black's strategic pawn advances:

Black's bishops control key diagonals and squares

Steinitz's plan:

1. Maximize bishop activity on both diagonals
2. Create multiple threats that White cannot address
3. Gradually improve piece coordination

Phase 2: Fixing White's Pieces

The brilliant ...Bc4 move:

Black's bishop creates a "focal point" on White's knight

Focal point technique: Place a bishop exactly three squares away from an enemy knight to control all its possible moves.

This forces White's pieces into passive roles while Black builds his attack.

Phase 3: Strategic Piece Trades

When Steinitz traded his dark-squared bishop for White's knight, he wasn't giving up the bishop pair randomly. He calculated that:

• White's knight was becoming active
• The trade would allow Black's rook to invade
• The remaining bishop would dominate White's knight
• Pawn endgames would be easily winning

Endgame Mastery: Bishop vs Knight

Final critical position:

Black's king infiltrates while White's knight is poorly placed

Why bishops dominate knights in endgames:

1. Long-range control - bishops cover more squares
2. King and pawn endings favor the side that can create multiple threats
3. Zugzwang possibilities - bishops can force opponent into bad moves
4. Outside passed pawns work better with bishop support

Steinitz's technique in the final phase:

• Precise king activity to create multiple threats
• Pawn advances that White cannot stop
• Calculation of concrete variations to force resignation

Practical Advice: Using the Bishop Pair in Your Games

When to Seek the Bishop Pair

Look for opportunities when:

• Positions are becoming open with pawn trades
• Your opponent's knights lack stable central outposts
• You can create long-term strategic plans rather than tactical battles
• Endgames approach where bishops excel

How to Maximize Bishop Power

1. Keep the position fluid - avoid locked pawn structures
2. Control both colors - use your bishops on complementary diagonals
3. Create multiple threats - make opponent choose what to defend
4. Be patient - bishop pair advantages build over time

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't trade bishops carelessly - Each bishop is valuable for controlling different colored squares

Don't allow knight outposts - Challenge any attempt to establish knights on strong central squares

Don't rush the attack - Let the position develop and accumulate small advantages

Modern Applications of Steinitz's Ideas

These principles from 1883 remain completely relevant today:

World champions like Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik regularly employ bishop pair strategies

Computer analysis confirms that Steinitz's positional evaluation was remarkably accurate

Opening theory has evolved around maximizing bishop pair potential in systems like the English Opening and Queen's Gambit

Conclusion: Master the Bishops, Master the Game

Wilhelm Steinitz's victory over English demonstrates that understanding strategic principles matters more than memorizing tactical patterns. The bishop pair advantage teaches us:

1. Long-term planning beats short-term tactics
2. Piece coordination creates overwhelming pressure
3. Structural advantages compound over time
4. Patient technique converts small edges into victories

Ready to improve your positional understanding? Start looking for bishop pair opportunities in your games. Focus on:

• Opening choices that preserve your bishops
• Middlegame plans that maximize their scope
• Endgame technique to convert advantages

Study games by Steinitz, Capablanca, and other positional masters. Understanding the bishop pair is your gateway to sophisticated chess strategy.

Want personalized coaching to master advanced strategic concepts like the bishop pair? Learn from a top 1% player who specializes in teaching positional chess principles that will transform your understanding of the game.