What do you prefer: Knights or Bishops?

Bishops are good if you are planning early attacks. Knights are good in the middle and end games

I like the horseys because they move crooked like some of the clergy.

If you have the two knights the best thing to do is trade it off for a bishop to make it a more managable bishop vs. knight game, and try to keep the pawns on one side of the board as the knight dominates the bishop in this type of setting, whereas the bishop wins when there are pawns on both sides of the board.

Originally posted by slickhare
i think the actual worth (not the point worth) of these pieces are determined by the player's confidence and strength with them. so which do you prefer?

bishops vs knights is totally dependent on the board position, if you invariably favor one over the other, you will just lose.

Jeremy Silman devotes a whole chapter to this question in his book: How to Reasess Your Chess.
First we have to understand when a bishop is good or bad, or how can we turn a bad bishop into good. If it's not possible then try to exchange a bad bishop with an active knight and so on.
But to make the right decision needs experience!

In open positions I prefer Bishops, in closed positions I prefer Knights and in the endgame it's king and pawn all the way.

I would add a link were a single isolated pawn humiliated a knight and bishop combined, but I've already posted that game. 😉

I prefer Queens

Bishops are usually better in open positions. In closed positions I` prefer knights.

Originally posted by slickhare
i think the actual worth (not the point worth) of these pieces are determined by the player's confidence and strength with them. so which do you prefer?

Well put. It does depend on the position I personally prefer the bishops because of the long range attacks. I would gladly sacrifice or trade a bishop for an attack or win. I have seen players favor a piece so much, they lose the game due to their unwillingness to part with that piece.

These are facts: A bishop is actually worth 3.4 pawns, whilst a knight is worth 3.3. Discussion closed.