From the view-point of the _Bishop_, the surface of the Chess-board takes
on a topographical aspect most forbidding.
To this Chess-piece at least one-half of the Topographical Zone is
inaccessible, and under any circumstances his movements are limited to
the thirty-two squares of his own color.
Thus, the Topographical Horizon of the Bishop takes the form of a broken
country, dotted with high hills, deep lakes, impenetrable swamps, and
thick woodlands. But between these obstacles thus set about by Nature,
run level valleys, varied in extent and easy of access. This fact so
modifies this harshest of all sensible horizons as to make the Bishop
next in activity to the Rook.
Within its limited sphere of action, the Bishop may move in either one or
four directions with a minimum of nine and a maximum of fourteen points
open to his occupation. Unimpeded by other corps blocking his route of
march, the Bishop may reach any desired point of his own color on the
chess board in two moves.
The weakness peculiar to the topographical horizon of the Bishop is its
liability to unopposed attack along verticals and horizontals by the
hostile King, Queen and Rooks; and along obliques by the hostile Knights.