We have already seen the difference between a good rook (on an open file) and a bad rook; and the difference between a good knight (in the middle of the board where the pawns cannot attack it) and a bad knight.
Now we will distinguish between a good bishop and a bad bishop.
In the following diagram, the White bishop simply has no moves because the two white pawns are completely fixed on the same color as the bishop. We can immediately see that, while the bishop is still on the board, it will have no meaningful effect upon the rest of the game.
Most of the time, bishops are not quite that bad, but the principle remains important: Do not fix pawns on the same color as your bishop. In the following diagram, the two pawns are fixed. Black's bishop is relatively good because it is attacking the White pawn. By contrast, the white bishop is being forced to play a defensive role in defense of its pawn.
