Value
In the context of chess, each piece has an approximate average value.
As, for example, a Queen can move in more directions more quickly than a Pawn, it's pretty intuitive that some pieces are more valuable than others.
While the exact average value of each piece is up for debate,[1][2] a good enough rough guide is the following:[3]
| Piece | Value |
|---|---|
| King | ∞ |
| Queen | 9 |
| Rook | 5 |
| Bishop | 3 |
| Knight | 3 |
| Pawn | 1 |
Invaluable King aside, the sum total value of all your pieces on the board is known as your material. Whoever has the most material has a material advantage.
This is, of course, merely theoretical and somewhat simplistic. In practice, your most valuable pieces are the ones most useful to your own particular plans within the current particular game. A Queen is generally much more valuable than a humble Pawn due to her dextrous movement, but if you're about to checkmate your opponent's King with that Pawn, guaranteed, then it's worth sacrificing even your Queen to accomplish that. Winning is everything. You don't get bonus points for winning with a material advantage.
Pawns become more valuable during the endgame, as most other pieces have been captured, clearing their path. They have a good chance to earn a promotion, usually to a Queen.
References
- "As the King can neither be exchanged nor captured, his relative value as compared with the other forces is inestimable. The average value of the Queen is reckoned to be equivalent to two Rooks and a Pawn. When the board is tolerably clear, i.e. when most of the forces have been captured, she is often not so valuable as two Rooks. A Rook is estimated to be worth a Bishop and two Pawns, or a Knight and two Pawns — two Rooks to be of about equal value with two Knights and a Bishop, or two Bishops and a Knight. A Bishop and a Knight... are generally thought to be of about the same value, though some authorities prefer the former. A Pawn stands lowest in the Chess army, and is usually reckoned at about one-third the value of a Bishop or of a Knight." Chess: Theory and Practice Howard Staunton, 1876, p. 62
Note: As a caveat, what Staunton says here doesn't seem especially internally consistent. He also slightly overvalues the Queen compared to modern received wisdom. - "A popular scale is P=1, N=3, B=3¼, R=5, Q=9." The Oxford Companion to Chess David Hooper & Kenneth Whyld, 1984, ISBN 0-19-281986-0, pp. 369—370
- Beginner's Guide to Winning Chess Fred Reinfeld, 1964, ISBN 0-572-00835-X, pp. 40—47
Further reading
Encyclopedias
- The Oxford Companion to Chess David Hooper & Kenneth Whyld, 1984, ISBN 0-19-281986-0, pp. 369—370
Chess terms: Attacking | Broad centre | Capturing | Centipawn | Hanging | Interposing | Line piece | Material | Open file | Piece | Reply | Value
