Chess Piece Value Comparison (Standard Points)
Standard chess piece values: pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9. Reinfeld system plus Staunton variants with linked converter. See all 10 rows.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawn (Reinfeld) Cheapest row here. All else counts in pawns. | 1 points | Base unit, 8 per side at start | Chess.com piece values / Wikipedia relative value: Pawn 1 |
| Knight (Reinfeld) Three pawns. Equals a bishop. | 3 points | Minor piece, 2 per side | Chess.com piece values / Wikipedia relative value: Knight 3 |
| Bishop (Reinfeld) Three pawns. Slightly above knight in open play. | 3 points | Minor piece, 2 per side | Chess.com piece values / Wikipedia relative value: Bishop 3 |
| Rook (Reinfeld) Five pawns. Exchange is rook for minor plus pawn. | 5 points | Major piece, 2 per side | Chess.com piece values / Wikipedia relative value: Rook 5 |
| Queen (Reinfeld) Nine pawns. Priciest single piece here. | 9 points | Major piece, 1 per side | Chess.com piece values / Wikipedia relative value: Queen 9 |
| Knight (Staunton 1847) Older scale. A touch above 3. | 3.05 points | Variant scale, Howard Staunton | Wikipedia relative value: Staunton Knight 3.05 |
| Bishop (Staunton 1847) Half pawn above the knight here. | 3.5 points | Variant scale | Wikipedia relative value: Staunton Bishop 3.50 |
| Rook (Staunton 1847) Nearly five and a half. | 5.48 points | Variant scale | Wikipedia relative value: Staunton Rook 5.48 |
| Queen (Staunton 1847) Nearly ten. Top variant row. | 9.94 points | Variant scale | Wikipedia relative value: Staunton Queen 9.94 |
| Starting army (no king) Whole side. Four point three queens. | 39 points | 8 pawns plus 2 knights plus 2 bishops plus 2 rooks plus queen | Computed from FIDE Laws Art.2 counts and Reinfeld values: 8x1+2x3+2x3+2x5+9 = 39 |
About this converter
The standard 1-3-3-5-9 scale prices every piece in pawns. A pawn is 1, a knight is 3, a bishop is 3, a rook is 5 and a queen is 9. The set is often called the Reinfeld values after writer Fred Reinfeld, and the same numbers appear in Shannon's 1949 paper. A full side without the king sums to 39 points. Older Staunton figures run a touch higher at 3.05, 3.50, 5.48 and 9.94. Engines count 100 centipawns per pawn.
How to use it
Pick two entries and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 queen against pawns to see the nine to one trade. Variant rows let Staunton and Reinfeld scales face each other.
The king has no point value since it cannot be captured, so it stays out of the rows. Its endgame fighting strength near 4 is sometimes quoted, but that is not a trade value. Counts per side are 8 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 rooks, 1 queen and 1 king under FIDE Laws Article 2. Piece values guide trades only. Position, activity and pawn structure decide real games.
FAQ
What is each chess piece worth?
Pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9. The king is invaluable and has no trade value.
How much material does each side start with?
39 points without the king: eight pawns plus two of each minor plus two rooks plus the queen.
Why is the king worth zero here?
It cannot be captured, so it has no trade value. Endgame fighting guides rate it near 4, but that is not a standard exchange figure.
What are Staunton values?
An 1847 variant at knight 3.05, bishop 3.50, rook 5.48 and queen 9.94. Modern teaching uses the round 3-3-5-9 set.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Chess piece relative value (Reinfeld 1-3-3-5-9 table, Staunton 1847 variants, Shannon 1949)
- Chess.com Terms: Chess piece value (pawn 1, knight/bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9)
- WorldChess: Chess piece point values (Reinfeld attribution, king invaluable)
- FIDE Laws of Chess Art.2 (starting counts: 8 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 rooks, 1 queen, 1 king per side)
Last verified: 2026-10-01 · 10 entries
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