Well, fwiw, I pretty much did exactly what the above poster said... re: Bxf7, etc,... Thankfully, for some reason, he DIDNT take my knight with his King... so it worked fine for me, and like I said, I won the game... But, I was just wondering if it was sound... 'in general'... I get you're point, though, about two active pieces being traded off... That pretty much answers my question. Thanks!
Does 6 points equal 6 points????i
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I usually look at 2 minors as being worth closer to 7 pawns (sorry, I'm too old a guy to start calling em "points")...especially early on in the game.
As others here have said, the answer is a gigantic "It depends". The "point" value of pieces is approximate. Its a good starting gauge, but the real value of pieces depends on the board. Does the rook control an open file or half open file? Does the knight have an outpost in the enemy position? Does the bishop have open diagonals to work on? Pieces without good squares to stand on, and thus exert control of the board, are worth much less. Active, strong pieces are worth more. You also have to consider what the resulting position looks like. How does the loss of the pawn affect the outlook on the endgame? Have you cracked open his defences, or does he still stand solid and do you no longer have the material force to conclude the matter? There is no one right answer, you have to go case by case and judge the merits of the position.
I've got a question for everyone...
In a recent correspondence game of mine, I played a combo where I was hoping to trade my bishop & knight for a rook & a pawn... Hence the title reference to 6 points...
It so happens that I went on to win this game fairly easily... But- on analysing the game, I was wondering if that was actually a sound trade. Like I said, I won the game, so this is more of a general question...
Was that an even/fair trade???
If not, why???? ... considering the equal point value...
I know there are all sorts of exceptions to chess 'rules'... but I was wondering what you'se guys thought...
Thanks!