16
votes
Accepted
Why is the rook worth 5 points while the bishop is only worth 3?
Have a look at the wikipedia article on relative chess piece values, it provides an extensive discussion on the matter.
To see how you can compare two given pieces, let's consider your bishop vs rook ...
- 12k
12
votes
Why is the rook worth 5 points while the bishop is only worth 3?
You need to understand that the point system is only a rough guideline meant to assist you in evaluating positions or in deciding on potential exchanges. Many factors, particularly the pawn structure, ...
- 20.7k
9
votes
Is the exchange of a rook for two minor pieces really worth it?
You say your opponent had a strong attack against your king and you had to "sacrifice" your rook for two minor pieces and went on to lose. I think you have it the wrong way round. It sounds like your ...
- 94.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Minimum sets of pieces required for checkmate?
King + Bishop + Knight
King + Bishop + Bishop
King + Rook
King + Queen
and don't forget the unlikely King + Knight + Knight + Knight
Assuming the lone King is attempting to avoid checkmate.
- 19.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Examples of harmony?
Admittedly, it's hard to make general abstract statements of any kind about chess (e.g. to say what "harmonious play" means) as it is a highly complex and concrete game. So everything said about it ...
- 12k
5
votes
Examples of harmony?
As in music, harmony is difficult to define, but two things come to mind.
One is the advice given "Talk to your pieces". Ask them if they feel like they belong to a team. If one of them says, "No I ...
- 8,155
5
votes
Why is the rook worth 5 points while the bishop is only worth 3?
I would like to add another example.
A rook can isolate a lonely king from a portion of the board by forming a barrier. A bishop cannot; for that same task you need 2 bishops.
That means, roughly, 1R~...
- 429
4
votes
Which are better, Knights or Bishops?
Steve Mayer wrote an excellent book on the subject, Knight versus Bishop: The Verdict. You could do worse than have a look at that. It explains the circumstances under which one is better than the ...
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4
votes
Why is the rook worth 5 points while the bishop is only worth 3?
The pawn point system is only a very rough guideline to judge a piece's value.
In the beginning of the game (as long as there are no (half) open lines for the Rooks to operate), a Bishop might very ...
- 5,908
4
votes
Examples of harmony?
I would suggest the 16th game of the 1985 WC match between Karpov (White) and Kasparov (Black).
Look after move 21:
[FEN "2rqr1k1/5p2/p2b1n1p/3P1bp1/Np6/1P1n1BB1/P2Q1PPP/1N1R1RK1 w - - 0 1"]
...
- 15.8k
4
votes
Accepted
Josh Waitzkin chessmaster mastery quiz - order of check vs trade in bishop and knight endgame
OK, here the long version by request.
Blacks options are 1...a5+ 2.Kc4 Bxh3 3.gxh3 Ne6 or 1...Bxh3 2.gxh3 a5+ 3.Kc4 Ne6 (both followed by Ke5 to restrict the wK), which is a simple transposion.
Let us ...
- 15.4k
3
votes
Why is the rook worth 5 points while the bishop is only worth 3?
The point values are based primarily on how many squares a piece can command. Not only can rooks command more squares on an open board, but they can cover both colors, while bishops are restricted to ...
- 2,984
3
votes
What are the reasons why I should not try to take a Knight with my Bishop if it'll result in doubled pawns?
There are a few disadvantages:
You trade your light-squared bishop, your best attacking piece.
You give Black the bishop pair.
The likely followup is an exchange of queens and an early endgame.
If ...
- 12.3k
3
votes
Is the exchange of a rook for two minor pieces really worth it?
Your experience doesn't speak too much to the general question. Your opponent apparently was more skilled than you, which means several things. First, they probably would have won if you hadn't traded....
- 2,262
3
votes
Reasons why king and rook mate quicker than king, knight/bishop and bishop?
Yes, a rook is worth less than two bishops (five versus six).
But a rook offers more concentrated power in one piece. To utilize the "six," you need to move two pieces rather than one. Add your king ...
- 12.3k
3
votes
Did Richard Teichmann fail to take his "bishop pair" idea to its logical conclusion?
I would like to point another way for Black to try and hold to the dark squared bishop, without allowing doubled pawns on f6. I believe that 1...Bd8 would be a reasonnable choice in that difficult ...
- 15.8k
3
votes
Why does Stockfish evaluate this position as completely lost?
You are aware that two minor pieces are superior to a Rook in a naive point count but you don't seem to realise why this is so. It is simply that if I attack something with two pieces that you can ...
- 8,155
3
votes
Accepted
What to trade when there's one superior/inferior minor piece in the position?
In most cases, Knights are happy when the position is closed and bishops are happy when it's an open position. By closed, I mean pieces are not easy to move, and in open, pieces are free to move. In ...
- 1,485
2
votes
What are the reasons why I should not try to take a Knight with my Bishop if it'll result in doubled pawns?
Let's see, what is the original question? The poster thinks that taking a knight with a bishop should be good if it results in the opponent getting doubled pawns. And the poster also specifically asks ...
- 121
2
votes
Minimum sets of pieces required for checkmate?
As simple as a Knight or even a pawn, if you consider the fact that your opponent's pieces can block the escape squares too.
Example:
W: Kf1, Nf2
B: Kh1, h2.
The Assume that white played Nf2# ...
- 1,837
2
votes
Reasons why king and rook mate quicker than king, knight/bishop and bishop?
Note, that a Rook alone can block a whole rank or file, enabling the king to get into position alone.
B+B and B+N cannot do this.
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2
votes
Why is the rook worth 5 points while the bishop is only worth 3?
From playing chess variants, we know that for Cylindrical Chess the strength of Rook and Bishop are practically equal. In this variant, both pieces have the same board mobility.
So, the main reason ...
- 1,939
2
votes
Why is the rook worth 5 points while the bishop is only worth 3?
You ask a basic but significant question. The question can be answered in either of two ways.
On the one hand, chess masters have found, roughly, that trading
a rook and a pawn for
two minor pieces (...
- 4,539
2
votes
Accepted
Is the exchange of a rook for two minor pieces really worth it?
Two minor pieces are generally stronger than a rook, with the advantage becoming more evident when the game heads to the endgame.
It is clear that there can be exceptions even in an endgame, like one ...
- 1,184
2
votes
Is the exchange of a rook for two minor pieces really worth it?
The generally accepted numerical value of those chess pieces are that the rook is worth 5 and the knight is worth 3 (the bishop is also worth 3 and the pawn is worth 1). Looking at the situation ...
- 21
2
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Josh Waitzkin chessmaster mastery quiz - order of check vs trade in bishop and knight endgame
Josh says trade bishop for knight and then do a5 check. Is there a difference if I do check before the trade?
I think you answer your own question:
chess.com engine says both check and trade are '...
- 94.5k
2
votes
Why should White give up the bishop (pair) in this example?
We can't read the engine's mind. The evaluation is the result of calculation to depth 22, i.e. looking 11 moves ahead; the main line(s) after both 1 Bxe4 and White's alternatives should give some ...
- 6,524
1
vote
Is the exchange of a rook for two minor pieces really worth it?
It's usually a very good trade to get two pieces for a rook. Maybe in the particular game you played it was important to keep the rook on in order to control the file, but in general the two pieces ...
- 19.8k
1
vote
Why is the rook worth 5 points while the bishop is only worth 3?
Ellie points out that a rook, wherever it is, sees more squares than a bishop can. The reason for this is the shape of the board: rook-lines run parallel to the board's edges. If the board was of ...
- 6,265
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