When you are a newbie in chess, you must understand what you have in your hands. Half of the chess set is the board, and the other half are the pieces. For starters, you must learn the basics of the chess pieces, like its names and values.

• Names of the 6 Chess Pieces
• Values of Chess Pieces
• The Real Values of the Chess Pieces
• Chess Pieces Fundamentals
• Pawns
• Knights
• Bishops
• Rooks
• The Queen
• The King
• You Are Not a Newbie Anymore!

In every chess game, there are two players, and each player owns 16 pieces. However, there are just 6 different types of pieces in chess.

Remembering the names of these six chess pieces is the best you can do from the very beginning. Thus, you will easily learn too the pieces values.

Names of the 6 Chess Pieces

Each of these chess pieces is different from the others. At first, their names and values say so. But also, their movements and capabilities confirm it.

• King
• Queen
• Rook
• Bishop
• Knight
• Pawn

The unlimited interactions that take place between such different pieces on the chessboard is what makes chess so interesting!

Values of Chess Pieces

The assessment of all possible moves in chess is determined by the value of the pieces. Tactics and strategy require you early grasp that the chess pieces not only have different names but also have different values.

Speaking of material value, the pawn is the piece with the lowest value, and the queen is the piece with the highest value. The king is a special piece in chess and, although it has different roles, its value itself is incalculable. Why the king cannot be taken in chess is one of the first lessons you must learn!

For starters, we can say that each piece has a material value as shown in the table below. Based on a value of one point, a material value is calculated for each piece.

* The king is the most important piece in chess and has a special value. The value of the king cannot be measured because the king is the very aim of chess. When the capture of the king is imminent, the game is over.

** The pawns are the most numerous pieces in chess and their notation is different from the others. While the other pieces have a letter that identifies them, the pawn has none.

The Real Values of the Chess Pieces

These material values of the pieces give us an initial idea of when it is favorable to exchange pieces and when it is not. For example, it is not favorable to exchange our queen for an opponent’s pawn.

Learning the table of values allows us to compare the material value of the chess pieces. For this reason, we should learn it from the time we start playing chess.

However, the material value of the pieces is not the only factor that determines how strong or how weak a piece can be. You can learn more about it in What Is the Weakest Piece in Chess?

Chess Pieces Fundamentals

After knowing the names and values of the chess pieces, we can make a quick review of all the pieces, looking a little bit about their initial position on the chessboard. The complete guide to set up the board can be found at How to Set Up a Chessboard | Step-by-Step Guide.

Let’s see all the pieces ordered by its values, from the lowest to the highest value.

Pawns

• Each pawn is worth one point.
• Each player starts out with eight pawns.
• Half of the pieces on the chessboard are pawns.

White’s pawns start on the second rank ―from a2 to h2. Black’s pawns start on the seventh rank ―from a7 to h7.

Knights

• A knight is worth three points.
• Each side starts with two knights.
• Just like the bishops, the knights are known as minor pieces in chess.

White’s knights are located on the b1 and g1 squares, while Black’s knights are located on b8 and g8.

Bishops

• A bishop is worth three points.
• Each side starts with two bishops.
• There are two types of bishops: the light-squared bishops and the dark-squared bishops.

White’s bishops are located on the squares c1 and f1, while Black’s bishops are located on c8 and f8.

Rooks

• A rook is worth five points.
• Each side starts with two rooks.
• Just like the queen, the rooks are known as major pieces in chess.

White’s rooks are located on the a1 and h1 squares, while Black’s rooks are located on a8 and h8.

The Queen

• The queen is worth nine points.
• The queen is recognized as a major piece, as it is the rook.
• Each side starts with a single queen.
• The queen is the most powerful piece in chess.

White’s queen is located on the d1-square, while Black’s queen is located on d8.

The King

• The value of the king cannot be measured in points, as we do with the other pieces. The king is essential to the game of chess. When the king is doomed to be captured, it is game over!
• Each side must have one only king.
• The king is the most important piece in chess!

White’s king can be found on e1, while Black’s king can be found on e8.

If you find yourself confused with where the king and queen go on the chessboard, you should learn King and Queen: Correct Placement on the Chessboard.

You Are Not a Newbie Anymore!

Congratulations! Now you know all the pieces you can use in a chess game!

You have learned the names of all the chess pieces, and how each piece differs from the others. You have discovered the values of all the chess pieces to be able to assess how to benefit in a possible exchange. Finally, you have learned other fundamentals of each one of the pieces, such as their initial position on the chessboard.

With all this, now you can choose your favorite chessboard and start playing with your friends!