What is each piece worth? Chess points made simple

Sooner or later every young chess player faces a big question: should I take that piece, or not? To answer it, children need a rough idea of what each piece is worth. Chess players use a simple points system for this, and it is easy enough for a six-year-old to learn and useful enough that strong players still think with it.

The points

Here are the values most chess teachers use:

• Pawn: 1 point
• Knight: 3 points
• Bishop: 3 points
• Rook: 5 points
• Queen: 9 points
• King: no points, because the king can never be captured. If the king is trapped in checkmate, the game is over.

The numbers are not rules of the game. Nobody keeps score on a sheet. They are a guide that helps children compare pieces quickly, a bit like knowing that a coin is worth more than a sweet wrapper.

Why the numbers make sense

Children remember the values better when they understand them. Ask your child why the queen might be worth the most. Usually they work it out themselves: she can move in straight lines like a rook and diagonally like a bishop, so she reaches more squares than anyone else. A rook can travel the whole board along rows and columns, so it is worth more than a knight or bishop, which cover less ground. A pawn only steps forward, so it is worth the least, although a pawn that reaches the far side of the board can be promoted, usually into a brand new queen.

Tip: hold up two pieces, one in each hand, and ask "Which would you rather keep?" It takes ten seconds, works at the kitchen table, and turns the points into a quick guessing game.

Good trades and bad trades

Once the points feel familiar, children can use them to judge captures. Taking a rook with a knight wins 5 points and loses at most 3 if the knight is taken back, so it is a good trade. Taking a guarded pawn with the queen usually loses 9 points for 1, so it is a bad trade.

A simple rule for younger players: before you take, count what you win and what you could lose. If the other side can take back, imagine that happening too.

Keep it age-appropriate

For children around three to five, there is no need for numbers at all. "The queen is the most precious piece" and "pawns are the little helpers" are plenty. From about six, the points start to make sense, and older children enjoy adding up captures after a game to see who came out ahead.

Remember that points are a guide, not a law. Sometimes giving up a piece leads to checkmate, and checkmate wins the game whatever the score. That is a lovely discovery for a child to make on their own.

Practising in ChessMons

In ChessMons, Professor Tock helps here too. When one of your child's pieces can be lost, he asks "Who's watching?": the square turns red and the attacking pieces get eyes. That moment is a natural chance to ask together: is that piece worth protecting? Children who learn to weigh pieces start making calmer, more careful choices, and that is a skill worth far more than any number of points.