ChessschoolThe value of chess pieces
Piece values help compare trades, but king safety and the position can matter more.
A practical scale
A pawn is roughly 1 point, a knight or bishop 3, a rook 5 and a queen 9. These are teaching estimates, not fixed rules. The king has no trade value because it may never be captured.
Count the whole exchange
If you take a defended piece, include the opponent’s recapture and your possible reply. Winning a pawn with your queen is a poor trade if your queen is then lost.
Consider activity
An active minor piece can be stronger than a trapped rook in a concrete position. A sacrifice may work if it forces checkmate, but calculate it instead of relying on points or hope.
Try it yourself
You trade a rook for a bishop and a pawn. What does the simple scale suggest?
Check the answer
You give about 5 points and receive about 4. It may still be justified by the position, but it is not an automatic material gain.
Put it into practice
Open the related lesson Practise with puzzles
Sources and corrections
For the official rules, see the FIDE Laws of Chess. Found an error? Send the position and page address.