Basics · Lesson 11 of 12 · 2 min read
How Much Are Chess Pieces Worth?
By James Dulay · Updated 14 November 2026
Each chess piece has a rough point value: pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5 and queen 9. The king has no value because losing him loses the game. These numbers help you judge whether a trade is good for you.
Try it in 3DThe standard values
| Piece | Value |
|---|---|
| Pawn | 1 |
| Knight | 3 |
| Bishop | 3 |
| Rook | 5 |
| Queen | 9 |
| King | Priceless |
Add up what you give and what you get. Trading a knight (3) for a rook (5) gains you two points. Trading your queen (9) for a rook (5) loses four.
Giving up a rook for a knight or bishop is called losing the exchange; doing the reverse is winning the exchange.
Free pieces and defended pieces
Before capturing, check whether the piece is defended. Here the white queen can take the pawn on d5, but the pawn on c6 would recapture and win the queen. The knight on h5 has no defender, so taking it wins 3 points for nothing.
Values are guidelines
Position matters. A knight in the centre can be worth more than a bishop blocked by its own pawns, and two bishops together are usually worth a little more than bishop and knight. Use the numbers to avoid obvious losses, then think about activity and king safety.
Interactive lesson
Practise piece values on a 3D board
Pawnorama walks you through this lesson step by step. You make every move yourself, with hints when you need them. Free, no account needed.
Start the lessonCommon questions
Why is the king not given a value?
Because the game ends when the king is checkmated. He cannot be traded.
Is a bishop worth more than a knight?
They are both counted as 3. Many players value bishops slightly higher in open positions.