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Match pieces to the position

Bishops open, knights closed.

Your pieces have personalities. Bishops love open positions with long, clear diagonals; knights prefer closed positions full of locked pawns they can hop over to reach squares a bishop can't. So when you choose what to trade and what to keep, read the pawn structure first.

Your own pawns matter too: a bishop hemmed in by pawns sitting on its own color is a 'bad' bishop — keep your pawns on the opposite color to keep its diagonals open. The diagram is a closed position with locked chains, where the nimble knight outshines the blocked bishop.

Locked pawn chains — a closed position. Knights hop over the blockage; bishops get stuck behind it.

In this closed position with locked pawn chains, which minor piece is usually stronger?

Answer the question to keep going!