Chess piece point value

Changing valuations in the endgame

The relative value of pieces changes as a game progresses to the endgame. The relative value of pawns and rooks may increase, and the value of bishops may increase also, though usually to a lesser extent. The knight tends to lose some power, and the strength of the queen may be slightly lessened, as well. Some examples follow.
* A queen versus two rooks:*In the middlegame they are equal:*In the endgame, the two rooks are somewhat more powerful. With no other pieces on the board, two rooks are equal to a queen and a pawn
* A rook versus two minor pieces:* In the opening and middlegame, a rook and "two" pawns are weaker than two bishops; equal to or slightly weaker than a bishop and knight; and equal to two knights:* In the endgame, a rook and "one" pawn are equal to two knights; and equal or slightly weaker than a bishop and knight. A rook and "two" pawns are equal to two bishops harvcol|Alburt|Krogius|2005|pp=402-3.
* Bishops are often more powerful than rooks in the opening. Rooks are usually more powerful than bishops in the middlegame, and rooks dominate the minor pieces in the endgame Harvcol|Seirawan|2003|p=ix.
* As the tables in Berliner's system show, the values of pawns changes dramatically in the endgame. In the opening and middlegame, pawns on the central files are more valuable. In the late middlegame and endgame the situation reverses, and pawns on the wings become more valuable due to their likelihood of becoming an outside passed pawn and threatening to promote. When there is about fourteen points of material on both sides, the value of pawns on any file is about equal. After that, wing pawns become more valuable harvcol|Berliner|1999|pp=16-20.

C.J.S. Purdy gave minor pieces a value of 3½ points in the opening and middlegame but 3 points in the endgame harvcol|Purdy|2003|pp=146, 151.

ee also

* The exchange (chess)
* Computer chess
* Claude Elwood Shannon
* Evaluation function

Notes

References

* Citation
surname1 = Alburt| given1 = Lev| authorlink1 = Lev Alburt
surname2 = Krogius| given2 = Nikolai| authorlink2 = Nikolai Krogius
year = 2005
title = Just the Facts!: Winning Endgame Knowledge in One Volume
edition = second
publisher = Chess Information and Research Center (distributed by W. W. Norton)
ID=ISBN 1-889323-15-2
* Citation
surname1=Berliner| given1=Hans| authorlink1=Hans Berliner
title=The System: A World Champion's Approach to Chess
year=1999
publisher=Gambit Publications
ID=ISBN 1-901983-10-2
*citation
last=Burgess |first=Graham |authorlink = Graham Burgess
title=The Mammoth Book of Chess
publisher=Carroll & Graf
year=2000
edition = 2nd
id=ISBN 978-0-7867-0725-6
* Citation
surname1=Capablanca| given1=Jose| authorlink1=José Capablanca
surname2=de Firmian| given2=Nick| authorlink2=Nick de Firmian
title=Chess Fundamentals (Completely Revised and Updated for the 21st century)
year=2006
publisher=Random House
ID=ISBN 0-8129-3681-7
* Citation
surname1=Evans|given1=Larry|authorlink1=Larry Evans
title=New Ideas in Chess
year=1967
publisher=Cornerstone Library (1984 Dover edition
ID=ISBN 0-486-28305-4
*Citation
surname1=Fine|given1=Reuben|authorlink1=Reuben Fine
surname2=Benko|given2=Pal|authorlink2=Pal Benko
year=2003
title=Basic Chess Endings (1941)
publisher=McKay
ID=ISBN 0-8129-3493-8
* Citation
surname1=Fischer|given1=Bobby|authorlink1=Bobby Fischer
surname2=Mosenfelder|given2=Donn
surname3=Margulies |given3=Stuart
title=Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
year=1972
publisher=Bantam Books
ID=ISBN 0-553-26315-3
* Citation
last=Kaufman|first=Larry|authorlink=Larry Kaufman
year = 1999
month = March
title = The Evaluation of Material Imbalances
journal = Chess Life
volume =
issue =
pages =
doi =
id =
url = http://mywebpages.comcast.net/danheisman/Articles/evaluation_of_material_imbalance.htm
format =
accessdate = 2006-06-21
* Citation
surname1=Lasker|given1=Emanuel|authorlink1=Emanuel Lasker
title=Lasker's Chess Primer
year=1934
publisher=Billings (1988 reprint)
ID=ISBN 0-7134-6241-8
* Citation
surname1=Lasker|given1=Emanuel
title=Lasker's Manual of Chess
year=1947
publisher=Dover Publications (1960 reprint)
ID=ISBN 0-486-20640-8
*Citation
surname1=Levy|given1=David|authorlink1=David Levy (chess player)
surname2=Newborn|given2=Monty
year=1991
title=How Computers Play Chess
publisher=Computer Science Press
ID=ISBN 0-7167-8121-2
* Citation
surname1=Mayer|given1=Steve
title=Bishop versus Knight: The Verdict
year=1997
publisher=Batsford
ID=ISBN 1-879479-73-7
* Citation
last = Purdy|first = C.J.S. |authorlink = Cecil Purdy
title = C.J.S. Purdy on the Endgame
year = 2003
publisher = Thinker's Press
ISBN=978-1-888710-01-8
* Citation
surname1=Seirawan|given1=Yasser|authorlink1=Yasser Seirawan
title=Winning Chess Endings
year=2003
publisher=Everyman Chess
ID=ISBN 1-85744-348-9
* Citation
surname1=Soltis|given1=Andy|authorlink1=Andrew Soltis
title=Rethinking the Chess Pieces
year=2004
publisher=Batsford
ID=ISBN 0-7134-8904-9
* Citation
last=Staunton
first=Howard
authorlink=Howard Staunton
title=The Blue Book of Chess Teaching the Rudiments of the Game, and Giving an Analysis of All the Recognized Openings
year=1870
publisher=Porter & Coates
url=http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16377
*Citation
surname1=Ward|given1=Chris|authorlink1=Chris Ward (chess player)
year=1996
title=Endgame Play
publisher=Batsford
ID=ISBN 0-7134-7920-5

External links

* [http://chess.about.com/library/ble23pvl.htm Relative Value of Chess Pieces]
* [http://chess.about.com/library/ble23zws.htm Relative Value of Pieces and Principles of Play] from "The Modern Chess Instructor" by Wilhelm Steinitz
* [http://www.chessvariants.com/d.betza/pieceval/index.html About the Values of Chess Pieces] by Ralph Betza, 1996.
* [http://mywebpages.comcast.net/danheisman/Articles/evaluation_of_material_imbalance.htm Larry Kaufman article]
* [http://www.chessville.com/misc/History/Mad_Aussie_Trivia_Archive_12.htm some historical evaluations]