Shogi glossary
Piece value
Japanese: 駒の価値
In shogi, piece value is a rough score used to compare pieces and judge trades. A common scale is pawn 1, lance 3, knight 4, silver 5, gold 6, bishop 8 and rook 10, with promoted pieces worth more.
A rough score for each piece used to judge trades.
How to use the numbers
Add up what you give and what you get in an exchange. A silver for a bishop gains about three points; a gold for a knight loses about two. The king has no value on this scale because losing it ends the game. The dragon and horse, the promoted rook and bishop, are the strongest pieces on the board.
Why values shift
The scale is only a guide. A silver next to the enemy king may be worth more than a rook stuck on the far side of the board, and in the endgame a piece that helps mate outweighs any amount of material elsewhere. Pieces in hand are flexible because they can be dropped wherever they are needed. The tokin is a special case: it moves like a gold, yet if it is captured the opponent receives only a pawn.
Compared with chess
Shogi has no queen, so the rook is the most valuable unpromoted piece. The lance, knight, silver and gold sit close together on the scale, and all but the gold gain gold-like movement when they promote.
Try it · from “Piece Values and Trades”
Capture the bishop with the right piece.
FAQ
Which is better in shogi, a gold or a silver?
On the usual scale a gold is worth a little more. Golds are better defenders because they move sideways and straight back; silvers are often better attackers because they can retreat diagonally.
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
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