Answers.Body: <p>The first move (...a6) is known as &quot;putting the question to the bishop&quot;. It asks the bishop to clarify its intentions - does it want to trade itself for the knight, or would it rather back off?</p>
  <p>I'm not aware of a name for ...b5, however.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-12-11T14:48:28.283Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-12-11T14:48:28.283Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Allure
Body: <p>I've noticed a common theme in games where a bishop placed on the fifth rank winds up retreating to the third rank as it's threatened by pawns. (as the black player this would be a bishop on the fourth rank pushed back to the sixth). A common example would be white's light-squared bishop in the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Caro Variation.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Caro Variation&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;&quot;]
  [StartPly &quot;8&quot;]
  
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5
  </code></pre>
  <p>However, this could happen at any point in the game, with any bishop of any color. I notice it often when a bishop is placed pinning a knight to a king, then attacked by an a or h pawn at a time when trading for the knight is not advantageous.
  Is there a name for this zig-zagging bishop retreat pattern?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2023-12-11T13:05:46.103Z
Comments.Text: I don't think there is a specific name beside "unpinning", "chasing the bishop" ; in the specific case where the bishop is further trapped by c5-c4 we call it "Noah's Ark".
Comments.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Tags: <terminology><bishops>
Title: Is there a name for the pattern when a bishop on the fifth rank is driven back to the third rank by pawns?
ThreadText: # Is there a name for the pattern when a bishop on the fifth rank is driven back to the third rank by pawns?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-12-09)
  
  I've noticed a common theme in games where a bishop placed on the fifth rank winds up retreating to the third rank as it's threatened by pawns. (as the black player this would be a bishop on the fourth rank pushed back to the sixth). A common example would be white's light-squared bishop in the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Caro Variation.
  [Title "Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Caro Variation"]
  [FEN ""]
  [StartPly "8"]
  
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5
  
  However, this could happen at any point in the game, with any bishop of any color. I notice it often when a bishop is placed pinning a knight to a king, then attacked by an a or h pawn at a time when trading for the knight is not advantageous.
  Is there a name for this zig-zagging bishop retreat pattern?
  
  **Tags:** terminology, bishops
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I don't think there is a specific name beside "unpinning", "chasing the bishop" ; in the specific case where the bishop is further trapped by c5-c4 we call it "Noah's Ark".  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2023-12-11. Score: 1
  
  The first move (...a6) is known as "putting the question to the bishop". It asks the bishop to clarify its intentions - does it want to trade itself for the knight, or would it rather back off?
  
  I'm not aware of a name for ...b5, however.
  
  
  ---
  
  