What the pieces are worth
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The pieces are not all worth the same. Look from left to right: a pawn is 1 point, a knight 3, a bishop 3, a rook 5, a queen 9. The king has no points: lose your king and you lose the game.
When you take a piece, think about what you give back. The knight on c3 can take the rook on d5. But the pawn on e6 guards d5, so the knight will be taken. Do the sum: a rook is 5, a knight 3. White gives 3, takes 5 and gains 2 points.
Is taking the rook on d5 with the knight a good trade?
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Is it good to take the pawn on d4 with the queen? Watch the pawn on c5.
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Your knight can take one of two pieces: the bishop on c6 or the rook on f7. Which is worth more? Take it.
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Your rook can take the knight on d7 or the bishop on h4. Careful: the black king guards d7. Which piece can you take without losing your rook?
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Now some puzzles from real games. In each one, find a piece left unguarded and take it.
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