Exercise 8.1Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
8
Chess from Zero · Kapilash Chess Academy
What Are the Pieces Worth?
Good captures and bad captures
In this lesson you will learn
- The value of each piece
- Protected and unprotected pieces
- How to choose the best capture
Every board on this page is live. Move the pieces by tapping or dragging, click any move in the lines to see that position, and press ↺ to start again.
8.1 Points for each piece
Some pieces are stronger than others. Players count their value in points. Learn these numbers by heart:
Pawn1
Knight3
Bishop3
Rook5
Queen9
The king has no number: it can never be captured or traded, so it is worth the whole game.
8.2 Free pieces
A piece is protected (or defended) if one of its own pieces could capture back on its square. A piece that is not protected is loose. Capturing a loose piece wins it for free.
Diagram 8.1White to move
Diagram 8.1 · Which capture is good?
White can capture the rook on f6 or the queen on c7.
Make the best capture.
♗xc7 wins the queen (9 points). ♖xf6 would be a mistake: the pawn on f6 is protected by the king and the rook on f7, so White would lose the rook (5) for a pawn (1). Always ask: is the piece protected?
8.3 Trades
If the piece you capture is protected, your opponent takes back. Then count: did you win more than you lost? Taking a rook (5) with a knight (3) is good even if the knight is taken back: you win 2 points. Taking a pawn (1) with your queen (9) when the pawn is protected is a disaster.
Remember
- Pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9.
- Before capturing, ask: is that piece protected?
- Capturing a loose piece wins it for free.
- Capture a protected piece only with something worth less.
Exercises · Lesson 8
Find the capture that wins the most. Count what you take and what you might lose back.
Find the best capture
Exercise 8.2Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
Exercise 8.3Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
Exercise 8.4Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
Exercise 8.5Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
Exercise 8.6Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
Exercise 8.7Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
Exercise 8.8Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
Exercise 8.9Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
Exercise 8.10Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.
Exercise 8.11Find the move
White to move
Make the best capture.