I play many openings which lead to Knight(s) versus Bishop(s) scenarios where the Knights prevail. Nimzo, Ruy Lopez Exchange, Bb5(+) Sicilians all day and night.
Even the mighty Kasparov succumbed to Chucky.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=vdYWylasOskAs they say: BxN is how grandmasters beat masters.
However, the pair of knights is no good and the pair of bishops is still fearsome.
OP talks about preserving Knight *Pair*
Keeping the Knight over Bishop is a common thing. Trying to get Knight pair is something else.
Knights are better in closed positions but Bishops are better in open positions.Attacking players might prefer Bishops, positional players might prefer Knights.
It is rather the opposite: positional players prefer bishops as they know how to win an endgame based on the 2 bishops.
Tactical players prefer knights as these offer more tactical opportunities with forks etc.
In short time control the knights are more convenient.
Anyway objectively speaking BB > BN > NN
Generally speaking a "knight pair" is not considered a thing like a "bishop pair" is. Bishop pairs complement one another more so than knights that are a bit more redundant. In the event of you winding up with 2 knights vs 2 bishops or bishop and knight you will generally want to play as follows:
1) Try to keep the position closed, unless it is really good for you to open it. Generally speaking a knight is stronger than a bishop in closed positions.
2) Find a nice sturdy outpost for your knights. A well placed knight that can't be kicked easily is very nice.
3) Look for forks. Knights are really good at forking pieces.
4) If you are simplifying and getting towards an endgame here you got a knight, and they got a bishop, and you both got pawns... Your chances are better if the pawns are not far apart and or only on one side of the board.
5) Try to keep your knights closer to the center and away from corners and edges unless needed there for some reason.
6) Don't just go knight knight knight knight knight knight over and over coordinate your pieces nad pawns.
7) It's rather difficult to mate a king with a knight on f1 or f8. It's a solid square for a knight when you need defense.
8) Don't let your knights be pinned to queen, king, or rook if possible.
9) Bishops are generally better. However, there are many cases of knights being better. Sometimes a knight on a solid outpost is worth more than a rook.
Close the position down, prevent any freeing pawn breaks. Get your knights into outposts, ideally deep in enemy territory and win.
I found out this quite recently.
When down the exchange, in this instance Rook and Bishop against Two Knights. It is probably a generally correct rule that knights should post on opposite color of the opponent's single bishop, other things being equal.
@tprThe advantage of BN over NN is said to be trivial. Despite that it sounds better to have Bishop and Knight versus Two Knights.
