In modern chess, the bishop pair has been established as a positional advantage in the majority of cases. It’s very common nowadays to hear teachers tell their students ‘keep your bishops’ or ‘capture that bishop’. In today’s chess, the importance given to this element has increased to the point that in some of the most popular opening variations, the main goal has become gaining the bishop pair.
According to Wikipedia, chess strategy is concerned with the evaluation of chess positions and setting up goals and long-term plans for future play (Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia). Most chess players understand perfectly well that choosing the right strategy against a stronger or a similar level opponent may decide outcome of the game to their advantage. However, many chess players usually underestimate the importance of developing the right strategy against a weaker opponent. Only a computer program plays the same way against all the opponents. Humans, on other hand, have the advantage of employing different strategies based on opponent’s strengths and weaknesses to achieve the best possible results. Knowing what strategy to follow against opponents of different strengths is a key factor for success at chess.
Everyone wants to learn about chess strategy. Players believe that if they learn more about this magic thing called “strategy” they’ll win every single game. But what chess strategy really is? Is it attack or defense, style of playing or evaluation of positions, set of rules or tactics? No, my friend I’m not trying to confuse you, just to show that chess strategy covers all of the above to some extent.
Wikipedia defines chess strategy as evaluation of chess positions and setting up goals and long-term tactics for future play.