Basics · Lesson 3 of 12 · 2 min read
How Does the Bishop Move in Chess?
By James Dulay · Updated 14 November 2026
The bishop moves diagonally, as many squares as it likes, and cannot jump over pieces. Because it only moves diagonally, a bishop stays on the same colour of square for the whole game. It is worth about 3 points.
Try it in 3DHow the bishop moves
In the centre of an empty board, a bishop reaches 13 squares. In a corner it reaches only 7, which is why bishops prefer long, open diagonals.
One colour for life
Each player starts with one light-squared bishop and one dark-squared bishop. A bishop can never reach squares of the other colour, so together the pair covers the whole board. Keeping both bishops, called the bishop pair, is a small but real advantage in open positions.
A bishop blocked by its own pawns standing on its colour is called a bad bishop. A simple habit: place your pawns on the opposite colour to your remaining bishop, so it has room to move.
Capturing with the bishop
A bishop captures by landing on an enemy piece along a diagonal. Here it can take the pawn on e3 straight away, and each of the other pawns can be reached in a few moves along the diagonals.
Interactive lesson
Practise the bishop on a 3D board
Pawnorama walks you through this lesson step by step. You make every move yourself, with hints when you need them. Free, no account needed.
Start the lessonCommon questions
Can a bishop change square colour?
No. A bishop that starts on a light square stays on light squares for the entire game.
Is a bishop better than a knight?
They are roughly equal, about 3 points each. Bishops tend to be better in open positions, knights in closed positions with many pawns.