ChessShould you trade your bishop for your opponent's knight? Is it worth giving up a rook for their queen? Every time you trade pieces, you have to make a call like this. The simplest method is to learn roughly how many points each piece is worth and do a quick sum before you trade. This page covers those numbers, how to use them, and when you shouldn't just follow them. To try things out as you read, start a game of online chess.
Piece value chart
| Piece | Rough value | In a nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| Pawn | 1 | Slow, but promotes when it reaches the last rank |
| Knight | 3 | Jumps, likes crowded positions |
| Bishop | 3 | Long range, likes open positions |
| Rook | 5 | Moves along ranks and files, especially strong in the endgame |
| Queen | 9 | Moves like a rook plus a bishop, the strongest piece |
| King | Priceless | If it's checkmated you lose, so it can't be traded |
These numbers come from centuries of players' experience. Many books and computer programs use slightly different values, but they're all close. Remembering 1, 3, 3, 5, 9 is plenty.
How to count before a trade
Before you trade, add up what you get and what you give, and compare:
This is a common trade in the Ruy Lopez. Both sides keep the same material, and the game is decided by the pawn structure afterwards.
Unless a strong attack follows, a trade like this just gives a piece away. Counting before every trade is the most basic habit, and the most useful one.
Phrases you'll hear a lot
- Winning the exchange: giving a knight or bishop (3) for the opponent's rook (5), a net gain of 2 points, is called "winning the exchange". The other way round is "losing the exchange".
- Two minor pieces for a rook: knight plus bishop is 6 points, and rook plus a pawn is also 6, so it's often about even. In the opening and middlegame the two minor pieces are usually more useful; in the endgame the rook is stronger.
- Queen for two rooks: two rooks are 10 points, a little more than the queen's 9. In practice it comes down to how safe each king is.
When the numbers are off
The values are only averages, and the position can shift them:
- The bishop pair: two bishops working together cover both square colors, and are usually worth about half a pawn more than bishop and knight or two knights.
- Closed vs open: in closed positions where pawns block the diagonals, knights do better. In open positions where the pawns have been traded off, bishops are stronger.
- Passed pawns: a passed pawn that has reached the sixth or seventh rank is sometimes worth a minor piece, or even more.
- Activity: a knight on a good square is worth far more than a bishop stuck in a corner with no way out.
- King safety: giving up a piece to break open the enemy king and getting checkmate in return is worth it, no matter how few points you have left. That's the idea behind the sacrifice.
So the numbers are there to remind you: count before you trade, and if the count goes against you, make sure what you get is really worth more than the points.
Puzzle: one jump wins a rook
Show answer
1. Ne7+ Kf8 2. Nxc8 The white knight jumps to e7, checking the black king and attacking the rook on c8 at the same time. The king has to move first, and then the knight takes the rook. White wins a rook (5) with a knight (3), and the knight doesn't get taken back, so White is 5 points up in one go. When one piece attacks two targets at once, it's called a fork.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is the king worth?
The king can't be captured and can't be traded, so it has no point value. In the endgame, though, the king becomes a strong fighting piece and often has to walk out and help.
Which is better, the knight or the bishop?
On average they're about equal, both counted as 3 points. When the position is closed with lots of pawns, the knight is better; when it's open with few pawns, the bishop is better. The side with both bishops usually has a small edge.
Do computers count points this way too?
Something like it, but in far more detail. Chess programs add in where the pieces stand, the pawn structure, king safety and other factors to reach a total score. Their basic piece values are very close to this chart.
Try it yourself
Go play free chess online, and before every trade, do the sum in your head. Once trading feels natural, read about stalemate to learn how to finish a winning game safely.