Opposite-colored bishops

A term for positions where the two sides have bishops that travel on squares of different colors.

In the endgame

In the endgame, opposite-colored bishops often make it easier for the weaker side to defend and let it save the game, because the opponent cannot take control of the squares their bishop cannot reach, for example:

In the middlegame

In the middlegame, on the contrary, opposite-colored bishops in many cases help an attack succeed, because it is hard for the opponent to remove (trade off) a bishop that takes an active part in the offensive.