Fianchetto

Fianchetto (Italian for 'little flank') describes developing a bishop to the second square along the adjacent long diagonal, such as g2 or b2 for White and g7 or b7 for Black, typically after a preceding knight-pawn move like g3 or b3. The bishop gains scope down an open diagonal, often aiming at the center or the opponent's king, while the pawn structure helps shelter the king once it castles nearby. It's a cornerstone of hypermodern openings like the King's Indian Defense, Grünfeld, and Catalan, where control of the center is exerted from a distance rather than with pawns occupying it directly. A key strategic point is that trading off a fianchettoed bishop can weaken the complex of squares it defended, so attackers often target it for exchange, especially the dark-squared bishop guarding a castled king on g7 or g2.