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Worksheet: Hanging Pieces and Piece Values

Topic: middlegame | Level: 2 | Week 4

Learn the value of each piece and how to spot when a piece is left undefended ("hanging") so you can win it for free.

Why This Matters

  • Every piece has an approximate value: pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9.
  • Before every move, check: did that move leave a piece where it can be captured for free?
  • Winning "hanging" pieces is the single easiest way for a beginner to gain an advantage.

Objectives

  • Recall the approximate value of each piece.
  • Spot when an opponent's piece has no defender.
  • Capture hanging pieces instead of missing free material.

Practice Tasks

  1. Write the point value of the pawn, knight, bishop, rook, and queen.
  2. In the mini-game position, circle any piece that looks undefended.
  3. Solve the 5 hanging-piece puzzles from this lesson and write the winning move for each.

Board Walkthrough

Follow the lesson one board at a time. The teacher answer key includes the move list.

Board 1
Board 2
Board 3
Board 4
Board 5
Board 6
Board 7
Board 8
Board 9

Practice Positions

Solve each position on paper first. Answers live only in the separate teacher/parent key.

Practice 1

White to move. Black just left a piece undefended — find the free capture.

Practice 2

White to move. Spot the undefended piece and win it.

Practice 3

White to move. Which black piece is hanging?

Practice 4

White to move. Look for a free piece along the diagonals.

Practice 5

White to move. Black's most valuable piece is undefended — take it!

Mini-Game

Play this position out with a partner. Every time either side moves a piece to a square with no defender, the other side should say "hanging!" and try to win it.

Answer Key

Hanging Pieces and Piece Values

Teacher/parent key for Worksheet: Hanging Pieces and Piece Values.

Worksheet Answers

  1. Prompt: Write the point value of the pawn, knight, bishop, rook, and queen.

    Pawn = 1, Knight = 3, Bishop = 3, Rook = 5, Queen = 9.

  2. Prompt: In the mini-game position, circle any piece that looks undefended.

    A piece is hanging if no friendly piece can recapture on its square.

  3. Prompt: Solve the 5 hanging-piece puzzles from this lesson and write the winning move for each.

    See practice positions above for each puzzle's solution move.

Model Line

  1. e4
  2. e5
  3. Nf3
  4. Nc6
  5. Bc4
  6. Bc5
  7. Nc3
  8. Nf6

Practice Position Solutions

Hanging Pieces and Piece Values — Practice 1

White to move. Black just left a piece undefended — find the free capture.

Solution: Qxd5+

Black's knight on d5 has no defender and no black piece can reach d5 to recapture. Qxd5+ wins the knight for free (and comes with check, since the black king is far away on a8).

Hanging Pieces and Piece Values — Practice 2

White to move. Spot the undefended piece and win it.

Solution: Nxf5

Black's rook on f5 is not protected by anything. The knight on d4 can jump straight to f5 and capture it for free — no black piece can recapture on f5.

Hanging Pieces and Piece Values — Practice 3

White to move. Which black piece is hanging?

Solution: Rxe6

The bishop on e6 sits on the same open file as the white rook, and nothing defends it. Rxe6 wins the bishop with no recapture available.

Hanging Pieces and Piece Values — Practice 4

White to move. Look for a free piece along the diagonals.

Solution: Bxg6

The bishop on c2 has a clear diagonal all the way to g6, where Black's knight sits undefended. Bxg6 wins the knight for free.

Hanging Pieces and Piece Values — Practice 5

White to move. Black's most valuable piece is undefended — take it!

Solution: Rxd8+

Even the strongest piece on the board can hang. Black's queen on d8 has no defender, so Rxd8+ captures it for free — always scan for the biggest hanging piece first.