Piece values
Also called Material, Points.
A rough guide to what pieces are worth: pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9.
The values guide trades: giving a rook for a knight loses about two pawns of value. They are averages. Most players rate a bishop slightly above a knight, and the pair of bishops about half a pawn extra. A well-placed knight can be worth more than a buried bishop. The king has no value, because it can never be traded.
Learn and practise it
- Lesson: Piece values and good trades