What Pieces Are Worth

Part of the Fundamentals section of Coddy's Chess journey. Lesson 21 of 41.

Now that pieces can be captured, a question follows every capture: was it a good deal? Chess players answer with a simple point scale. Pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9:

White pawn, knight, bishop, rook and queen lined up on the third rank

Left to right: pawn (1), knight (3), bishop (3), rook (5), queen (9).

The king has no number, and not because he is weak. He can never be traded away: the game ends before he is ever captured, so no pile of points could buy him. Priceless, in the most literal sense.

The scale is a guide for trades, and here is one it warns against. White's rook can take the bishop on d5, but look at the black pawn on e6, guarding that square:

White rook on d1 eyeing the black bishop on d5, which the pawn on e6 defends

Rook takes bishop, pawn takes rook: White gives 5 points and gets back 3. A losing trade.

That is the whole skill in one picture: before every capture, count what you give against what you get. Winning material this way, point by point, is how most games between beginners are decided. But remember the scale is a guide, not a law; the only goal the rules care about is the enemy king.

Try it yourself

The white rook on e4 attacks both black pieces, but only one of them is safe to take. Click the piece the rook can win for free.