Chess Basics: Piece Values
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Chess Basics: Piece Values
When chess players are trying to decide whether a certain move or trade is a good idea or a bad one, they don’t just make a random guess–they use a points system to help them figure out the right answer. In this article, we'll go over how many points each chess piece is worth and how to use the point system during a game.
Piece Values in Chess
Every chess piece except one–the king–is worth a certain number of points. These values loosely reflect the strength and ability of each piece. Students often ask when this point system was introduced; the short answer is the 19th century, long after the game was invented.
The value of each piece is as follows:
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Pawn: The piece most restricted in its movement and with the least territorial control. A pawn which reaches the other side of the board can be promoted into another piece. Pawns are worth one point each. (1)
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Knight: Knights jump over other pieces and can be very useful, but they can’t move as far in one turn as other pieces can. They’re worth three points. (3)
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Bishop: While bishops can move farther in a single turn than knights, they only have access to one color square, limiting their utility in some situations. Bishops are also worth three points, just like knights. (3)
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Rook: Like bishops, rooks can move long distances across the board, but they’re not restricted to any particular color. They’re worth five points. (5)
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Queen: The queen is the most versatile and powerful piece on the board–and the most valuable. Queens are worth nine points. (9)
As the king can never be captured, he has no set value. Instead, most players think of the king as priceless–he’s worth the whole game.
Using Piece Values in Decision Making
The most important application of the point system for beginners is the assessment of a potential capture or trade. When a player has several possible moves available to them, figuring out which of those options will pick up the most points can help them determine what the best choice is. There are three types of trades:
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Good: A trade where a player wins more points than they lose.
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Even/Fair: An exchange of pieces of equal value, like a pawn for a pawn or a knight for a bishop.
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Bad: A trade where a player loses more points than they win.
In the position below, White has three possible captures available. Each piece is defended, which means the capture will likely result in a trade:
If White takes the pawn on e6 (indicated by a yellow arrow), they will pick up one point but lose three when the knight is captured back. This would be a bad trade.
Capturing the bishop on c6 (indicated by a blue arrow) would earn White three points, but Black would earn the same number of points back by capturing the knight with their pawn. This would result in an even trade.
The rook is not only Black's strongest piece on the board, but also their most valuable. Taking it with the knight would earn White five points and only cost them three, allowing them to net two points out of the exchange. This would be a good trade for White.
Conclusion
