0When you are considering giving up some of your pieces for some of your opponent's, you should think about the values of the men, and not just how many each player possesses. The player whose men add up to a greater value will usually have the advantage. So a crucial step in making decisions is to add up the material, or value, of each player's men.
The pawn is the least valuable piece, so it is a convenient unit of measure. It moves slowly, and can never go backward.
Knights and bishops are approximately equal, worth about three pawns each. The knight is the only piece that can jump over other men. The bishops are speedier, but each one can reach only half the squares.
A rook moves quickly and can reach every square; its value is five pawns. A combination of two minor pieces (knights and bishops) can often subdue a rook.
A queen is worth nine pawns, almost as much as two rooks. It can move to the greatest number of squares in most positions.
The king can be a valuable fighter, too, but we do not evaluate its strength because it cannot be traded.
