Concept

Material

You might say: material count, piece balance

The relative quantity and conventional value of the pieces and pawns still on the board. It is a concrete comparison, not a verdict by itself.

What it does

Shows what has been won or sacrificed and frames whether exchanges, activity, or compensation need closer examination.

Ask

Who has more material, and what does the position give the side with less?

Typical

A common guide is pawn 1, knight or bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9; the king has no point value.

Trouble

Counting points as the result while ignoring activity, king danger, or the position after an exchange.

What to look for

1. Pieces and pawns still on the board
2. Captures and sacrifices reflected in the count

Connections

• Controls: Exchanges
• See also: Piece activity

Sources

1. Chess.com, Chess Pieces Value, What Are Chess Piece Values?Chess piece values give us a relative worth for each piece. This information helps us determine what piece should be traded for another piece, how we evaluate an exchange, and even how computer engines evaluate a position!
2. Chess.com, Chess Pieces Value, What Are Chess Piece Values?These point values don't determine who wins a game (the goal of chess is to deliver checkmate, not to capture the most pieces).

Use it on your project

teardown-apply: hold "Material" (material) from the teardown at https://teardownatlas.com/chess/ against my project

Paste it into a coding agent that has the teardown skills.

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