VALUE OF a CHESSMEN

The value of any chess piece can be determined by the extent of its utility in the hands of the chess player. In general, the average utility of a chess piece to a player is proportionate to its average mobility. Practical experience has reinforced the generally accepted market price of each of the following chess pieces. The pawn is the basic unit for establishing the market price of all other chess pieces. Consequently, the relative scale of values is as follows: Pawn has a value of 1 point. Knight has a value of 3 points. Bishop has a value of 3 points. Rook has a value of 5 points. Queen has a value of 9 points. These relative values change throughout the progress of the game. It is an established principle that the less range a piece has, the smaller is its power and value. By virtue of this power of movement, a knight is more valuable than a bishop in cramped positions, but in the endgame, a bishop is generally more powerful and therefore more valuable. The power and the value of a knight decrease as the number of pieces on the chessboard diminishes, whereas that of the rook, on the contrary, increases.