In short: Bishops and knights. Rooks and queens are called major pieces.
The pieces are often split into two groups. Bishops and knights are minor pieces, worth about three pawns each. Rooks and queens are major pieces: the rook about five pawns, the queen nine. The pawns and the king belong to neither group.
The minor pieces first
In the opening the minor pieces usually come out first. They have a short way to good squares, and they can't be chased around as easily as the queen. The rooks come into play later, once lines have opened. Read more about development.
Bishop or knight?
They are worth about the same, but they like different positions. The bishop wants open diagonals and can fight across the whole board. The knight jumps over other pieces and is therefore strong in closed positions, especially on an outpost where no pawn can chase it away. If you still have both bishops and your opponent doesn't, that is called the bishop pair.
The major pieces
The rooks and the queen move along whole files and ranks and want open lines. Two rooks on the same file protect each other and hit twice as hard. Read about open files and the seventh rank.
The exchange. The difference between a rook and a minor piece has a name of its own. A player who gets a rook for a bishop or a knight has won the exchange.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, the bishop or the knight?
It depends on the position. The bishop likes open positions with long diagonals. The knight likes closed positions and outposts, where no pawn can chase it away.
What are the major pieces?
The rooks and the queens. They move along whole files and ranks and are strongest when the lines are open.
Updated November 14, 2026