Is a bishop worth more than a knight?

Both count as 3. A bishop is often slightly better in open positions with pawns on both sides of the board, and a knight in blocked positions where it has a safe square in the centre.

How many points is the king worth?

None. The king can’t be captured or traded, and checkmate ends the game, so giving it a number would mean nothing.

What does “winning the exchange” mean?

Winning a rook (5) for a bishop or knight (3). It is usually a real advantage, roughly two pawns’ worth on the scale.

Should I trade pieces when I’m ahead?

Usually, yes. Swapping pieces (not pawns) makes an extra piece count for more, because there are fewer defenders left to hold off your advantage.

Chess piece values

Updated 14 October 2026

The usual chess piece values are pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5 and queen 9. The king has no value, because losing it loses the game. Treat the numbers as a guide for judging trades: add up what you give and what you get. The position on the board can make any piece worth more or less.

Piece	Value	Why
Pawn	1	The unit the others are measured in. Slow and can never move back, but it can promote.
Knight	3	Short range, but it jumps and can fork. Strongest in the centre and in blocked positions.
Bishop	3	Long range, on one colour only. Often a little better than a knight when the board is open.
Rook	5	Covers a whole rank and file. Strongest on open files and in the endgame.
Queen	9	A rook and a bishop in one piece.
King	None	Can never be traded, so it has no points value. Lose it and you lose the game.

How to count a trade

To judge a trade, add up the points of everything you capture and subtract the points of everything you lose. If the answer is positive you came out ahead; if it is negative you gave away material.

White can take the knight with the rook, but the e6 pawn takes back. White gets 3 points and loses 5: two points down.

The habit that saves the most material is to count defenders before you capture. A piece that looks free often isn't: ask what can take back on that square, and what your piece is worth compared with the one you're taking.

Common trades, in points

Most trades in a game are one of these. The points tell you where to start; the last column says what usually decides it.

Trade	On paper	What usually decides it
Knight for bishop	3 for 3: even	Whether the position is open (bishop) or blocked (knight).
Rook for bishop or knight	5 for 3: two up for the side taking the rook	Called winning the exchange. Usually a real advantage.
Two minor pieces for a rook and a pawn	6 for 6: even	With plenty of pieces left, the two minor pieces are often stronger.
Queen for rook and minor piece	9 for 8: close	King safety, and whose pieces work together better.
Minor piece for three pawns	3 for 3: even	How far the pawns have advanced, and whether they are connected.

When the numbers mislead

Piece values ignore where the pieces stand and whose king is safe, so the position can overrule them. Four situations come up again and again.

King safety beats material

A checkmate ends the game whatever the score. Being ahead on points means nothing if your king is caught.

Black has two knights and three pawns, 9 points against White's 5. It doesn't matter: Ra8 is checkmate.

The bishop pair

Two bishops together cover both colours of square, so they are usually worth a little more than a bishop and a knight, or two knights. Larry Kaufman's well-known study of master games put the pair at about half a pawn extra. The difference shows most in open positions.

Active and passive pieces

A knight planted on a central square that no pawn can attack can be stronger than a rook stuck in the corner. A bishop hemmed in by its own pawns on its own colour, often called a bad bishop, can be worth less than its 3. Before a trade, ask which piece is actually doing more.

Endgames change the scale

As pieces come off, pawns matter more. A pawn close to promoting can be worth nearly a queen, because that is what it is about to become (the pawn lesson covers promotion). The king turns into a fighting piece. And a single extra bishop or knight with no pawns left can't win at all, because it can't checkmate on its own: see how a chess game ends.

Where the scale comes from

The 1-3-3-5-9 scale is the one most beginner books teach. Some books and chess engines use finer numbers, for example rating a bishop slightly above a knight or the queen slightly above 9, but the order of the pieces is the same. For how each piece moves, start with how chess pieces move.

One of the Iron Rook's opening lines: “Every pawn matters. I will prove it.”

Questions people ask

Is a bishop worth more than a knight?: Both count as 3. A bishop is often slightly better in open positions with pawns on both sides of the board, and a knight in blocked positions where it has a safe square in the centre.
How many points is the king worth?: None. The king can’t be captured or traded, and checkmate ends the game, so giving it a number would mean nothing.
What does “winning the exchange” mean?: Winning a rook (5) for a bishop or knight (3). It is usually a real advantage, roughly two pawns’ worth on the scale.
Should I trade pieces when I’m ahead?: Usually, yes. Swapping pieces (not pawns) makes an extra piece count for more, because there are fewer defenders left to hold off your advantage.