Minor piece

A minor piece is either a bishop or a knight. Each player begins with four minor pieces: two bishops and two knights. The term lets players discuss both types as a group, especially when comparing the approximate value of the forces remaining on the board.

Bishops and knights are each commonly valued at roughly three pawns, but they work differently. A bishop has long range and is restricted to one square color; a knight has short range, can jump, and can eventually reach both colors. Exchanging one for the other is therefore not automatically equal in practical terms.

“Minor” is a category contrasted with a major piece, the collective name for rooks and queens, not a judgment that the piece is unimportant. A bishop or knight with many useful squares may contribute more than a rook confined by other pieces and left with few moves. Light-squared bishops, which remain on light squares, and dark-squared bishops, which remain on dark squares, are still minor pieces.