Value of pieces

The value of the runners (value of the figures) – the strength, combat power of chess figures and pawns, resulting from their ability to move. It is most often understood as the material (absolute, relative) or positional value of the gears.

Material value of chess pieces

Figures and pions have a strictly assigned value in points, determined by theory, showing their strength on the chessboard.

Queen – 9 points,

Rook – 5 points,

Bishop and Knight–3 points each ,

Pawn – only 1 point

This means, for example:

Taking the Queen in exchange for a rook and 2 pawns will be advantageous, but to rob the hetman and lose 2 rooks and a jumper – no longer.

The king, due to its special role (the game of chess is to capture it , and it cannot be beaten), does not have an assigned point value. However, the strength of the king is indicatively valued at 4-5 points, if he can move freely on the chessboard (usually in the ending).

Quality advantage

A popular term when determining material advantage in chess is the so-called „material advantage”. Quality advantage (colloquially quality). This means situations where a stronger figure is exchanged for a weaker one, and specifically this almost always refers to:

• rook exchange for a rook
• rook replacement for knight

Relative (positional) value of chess pieces

Although the pieces have a fixed point value, due to the fact that the nature of the situation on the chessboard changes rapidly, in certain positions the strength of the figures dramatically increases or decreases.

For example, you can assume that a chaser blocked by its own pawns loses its value (indicatively to, for example, 1 point), while a pawn located on the penultimate line, just before the transformation field, becomes very valuable (indicatively you can give it, for example, 8 points).