A weekly question and answer column by FIDE Master Andy Lee.
Q: What does it mean to fianchetto a bishop? Why would I ever want to do this?
-- Jay, New York, NY
A: The fianchetto is an important element of chess strategy. Instead of moving one of the center pawns to develop the bishop, a fianchetto involves moving one of the knight pawns and then putting the bishop on the longest diagonal of the board. Here's an example of both sides fianchettoing their bishops:
Why would you do this, you ask? Well, much like rooks, bishops are often most powerful as long-range pieces, sweeping across the entire board. When bishops get too close to their opponent's pieces, they often get attacked by pawns and knights. Check out the following example, from the main line of the Ruy Lopez opening:
Notice that the fianchettoed bishop controls the center from afar and (if the center empties out) can attack pawns and rooks that are normally pretty safe in the opening. Here's a great example of the power that the fianchettoed bishops can have, from one of the great World Champions, Bobby Fischer:
The examples above don't mean to suggest that you should always fianchetto your bishops, or that the Ruy Lopez is a bad opening. But if you haven't ever used this fundamental chess strategy before, give it a shot!