In short: A bishop shut in by its own pawns, because they stand on squares of the same color as the bishop. The opposite is called a good bishop.
The bishop never changes color. One that starts on a light square stays on light squares all game. If your own pawns stand on the same color as the bishop, it ends up behind them, with its diagonals closed. It is then called a bad bishop. A bishop whose pawns stand on the other color has open roads, and it is called good.
The bad bishop has two problems. It can't get out, and it can't help where it is needed. All of White's pawns stand on dark squares, and Black's bishop can never attack them.
The bishop in the French Defense
The best-known example is Black's bishop on c8 in the French Defense, where Black's pawns stand on e6 and d5. One way to solve the problem is to trade it off.
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What you can do
- Trade it off, preferably for your opponent's bishop of the same color.
- Put it in front of the pawns. A bishop outside the pawn chain can be active, even if it is called bad.
- Move the pawns to the other color, if you can do it without creating new weaknesses.
The rule of thumb isn't absolute. A bad bishop often defends its pawns well, and in endgames with opposite-colored bishops it can become the defender's best friend.
Frequently asked questions
Is a bad bishop always bad?
No. It can be a good defender of its own pawns, and if it stands outside the pawn chain it can be active. It is the pawns that make it bad, not the square it stands on.
What do you do with a bad bishop?
Trade it off, preferably for your opponent's good bishop. Or put it in front of the pawns instead of behind them, or move the pawns to the other color if you can.
Updated October 31, 2026
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