Answers.Body: <p>In general, the two bishop advantage is worth half a pawn, while double pawns are only a minor disadvantage. Sometimes doubled pawns can be an advantage if they do not block your pieces and control important squares. OTOH, creating doubled isolated pawns on a half open file is likely to be worth the loss of a two bishop advantage.</p>
  
  <p>Long term imbalances that occur early in a game are easier to deal with than those that occur late in a game. Let us take for instance the Nimzo-Indian line</p>
  
  <pre>
  <code>
  [FEN ""]
  
  1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3 O-O 7.Bd3 d5 8.cxd5 exd5
  </code>
  </pre>
  
  <p>Black has just allowed white to undouble the pawns that he gave up his dark square bishop to double. The key to understanding this is that the doubled pawns are not such a big deal. Black is looking to keep white's dark square bishop permanently bad (because of the pawns on e3 and d4), while getting good squares for his knights. Black's light square bishop will be not so bad (still bad because of the d5-pawn) and will also look for opportunities to trade his light square bishop for white's.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-04-10T18:36:11.820Z
Answers.Text: I think you meant to type 3. ... Bb4 (instead of Bb5.)  The game example as provided does not work properly.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Lumberjack
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-04-10T16:51:34.400Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-04-10T22:26:44.903Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2014-04-10T22:26:44.903Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: newshutz
Answers.Body: <p>I take it that you feel that you are at a disadvantage because you have a bishop and a knight against a bishop pair in a reasonably open position. (If the position were closed, having the knight might be an ADvantage.)</p>
  
  <p>Most likely, your knight would be pinned by one of the opposing bishops, and this pin would result in a doubled pawn. I can think of two main cases.</p>
  
  <p>1) If the exchange of the opposing bishop for the knight and a doubling of your pawns results in bishops of opposite colors, that would probably be a good result for you, because this situation is the one most likely to result in a draw.</p>
  
  <p>2) The exchange of the opposing bishop of opposite color for the knight (leaving bishops of the same color). That's probably not nearly as good. Then the freedom of your bishop is the key factor. You still have good drawing chances if your pawns on on the OPPOSITE color of the two bishops, giving your bishop, maximum freedom, while presumably "locking" your opponent's pawns on the same color as the two bishops. If your pawns are on the same color as the bishops, blocking your bishop while providing fodder for his, you have losing chances.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-04-09T00:13:25.660Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-04-10T17:00:39.090Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2014-04-10T17:00:39.090Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom Au
Answers.Body: <p>To directly answer the OP as asked looking for a general answer.</p>
  
  <p>NO.</p>
  
  <p>And it is unlikely you will get to choose.  </p>
  
  <p>In many cases if they wish to give up the bishop pair you may have to take the doubled pawns and have nothing to say  about it. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-02-04T18:22:56.053Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-02-04T18:22:56.053Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: edwina oliver
Body: <p>I understand that this can be very situational which is why I don't provide a position as I am seeking some more generally applicable answer or things to consider.</p>
  
  <p>Assuming that the opponent has a bishop pair would you feel that a combination that leaves me with doubled pawns and the opponent with only one bishop (but no other difference in material). is worth it? I guess another way to ask the same question is whether doubled pawns are a half point disadvantage. </p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-04-09T04:26:18.293Z
Comments.Text: It's really hard to answer this question in general. In some positions, I have voluntarily exchanged my bishops for the opponent's knights to have two knights (for me) vs two bishops to give me an advantage.
Comments.UserDisplayName: NM Wesley Falcao
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-04-09T19:02:48.167Z
Comments.Text: Marcus, one way to get at something more general, while still offering something concrete for those answering to address, might be to include two different positions where this possibility arises, and in comparing/contrasting the value of the idea in those positions, good answers will also be addressing the general considerations.
Comments.UserDisplayName: ETD
Tags: <pawn-structure><bishops><bishop-pair><doubled-pawn>
Title: Should I accept doubled pawns to remove the opponent's bishop pair advantage?
ThreadText: # Should I accept doubled pawns to remove the opponent's bishop pair advantage?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-04-08)
  
  I understand that this can be very situational which is why I don't provide a position as I am seeking some more generally applicable answer or things to consider.
  
  Assuming that the opponent has a bishop pair would you feel that a combination that leaves me with doubled pawns and the opponent with only one bishop (but no other difference in material). is worth it? I guess another way to ask the same question is whether doubled pawns are a half point disadvantage.
  
  **Tags:** pawn-structure, bishops, bishop-pair, doubled-pawn
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: It's really hard to answer this question in general. In some positions, I have voluntarily exchanged my bishops for the opponent's knights to have two knights (for me) vs two bishops to give me an advantage.  
  > **username_2**: username_0, one way to get at something more general, while still offering something concrete for those answering to address, might be to include two different positions where this possibility arises, and in comparing/contrasting the value of the idea in those positions, good answers will also be addressing the general considerations.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2014-04-10. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
  
  In general, the two bishop advantage is worth half a pawn, while double pawns are only a minor disadvantage. Sometimes doubled pawns can be an advantage if they do not block your pieces and control important squares. OTOH, creating doubled isolated pawns on a half open file is likely to be worth the loss of a two bishop advantage.
  
  Long term imbalances that occur early in a game are easier to deal with than those that occur late in a game. Let us take for instance the Nimzo-Indian line
  
  ```
  
  [FEN ""]
  
  1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3 O-O 7.Bd3 d5 8.cxd5 exd5
  
  ```
  
  Black has just allowed white to undouble the pawns that he gave up his dark square bishop to double. The key to understanding this is that the doubled pawns are not such a big deal. Black is looking to keep white's dark square bishop permanently bad (because of the pawns on e3 and d4), while getting good squares for his knights. Black's light square bishop will be not so bad (still bad because of the d5-pawn) and will also look for opportunities to trade his light square bishop for white's.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: I think you meant to type 3. ... Bb4 (instead of Bb5.)  The game example as provided does not work properly.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2014-04-09. Score: 2
  
  I take it that you feel that you are at a disadvantage because you have a bishop and a knight against a bishop pair in a reasonably open position. (If the position were closed, having the knight might be an ADvantage.)
  
  Most likely, your knight would be pinned by one of the opposing bishops, and this pin would result in a doubled pawn. I can think of two main cases.
  
  1) If the exchange of the opposing bishop for the knight and a doubling of your pawns results in bishops of opposite colors, that would probably be a good result for you, because this situation is the one most likely to result in a draw.
  
  2) The exchange of the opposing bishop of opposite color for the knight (leaving bishops of the same color). That's probably not nearly as good. Then the freedom of your bishop is the key factor. You still have good drawing chances if your pawns on on the OPPOSITE color of the two bishops, giving your bishop, maximum freedom, while presumably "locking" your opponent's pawns on the same color as the two bishops. If your pawns are on the same color as the bishops, blocking your bishop while providing fodder for his, you have losing chances.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2020-02-04. Score: 0
  
  To directly answer the OP as asked looking for a general answer.
  
  NO.
  
  And it is unlikely you will get to choose.
  
  In many cases if they wish to give up the bishop pair you may have to take the doubled pawns and have nothing to say about it.
  
  
  ---
  
  