Fianchetto in chess: meaning of the bishop maneuver explained

The fianchetto (Italian for “small flank”) is a typical sequence of moves in chess openings that places a bishop on an important diagonal

The role of the fianchetto in chess

In the opening of chess, it is important to place or “develop” your pieces sensibly and flexibly. The fianchetto offers a popular development variation for bishops:

• In a normal fianchetto, you move the bishop to the square in front of the knight (for White: b2 / g2, for Black: b7 / g7) after the pawn has taken a step forward.

• This strategy is mainly used in closed or semi-closed positions to control the long diagonal.

• In addition to the normal and most common variation, there is also the long and the extended fianchetto. In the long fianchetto, the pawn moves forward two squares instead of one. In the extended fianchetto, the bishop moves to the edge of the board (for White: a3 / h3, for Black a6 / h6).

Tactical considerations and application

The successful application of the fianchetto requires a deeper understanding of tactical subtleties and strategic principles in order to take full advantage of this maneuver.

• Do not exchange the fianchettoed bishop lightly, as it often not only controls the main diagonal, but is also an important defender of the kingside position.

• Protected by the placed bishop, you can move pawns forward more easily in the center and on the opposite wing to attack.

• Learn about different openings with the Fianchetto (e.g. Pirc Defense, Benoni Defense, Sicilian Dragon Variation) to understand the strategic aspects.