Exchange Confusion?!

Dear Chess Parents and Teachers!

I received the following question from Theresa, a chess coach in Illinois:

“I have heard about the exchange, to exchange, and winning the exchange. This is very confusing. Could you please explain it?”

Great question! As someone who has played chess for many years, I wouldn’t notice that this kind of terminology could confuse someone who is new to the game. But now that you mention it, it could be very confusing!

Basically, it deals with two different things. “The exchange” (a noun) is the material difference of a rook against a minor piece. So, for instance, in the following position, White could be said to be “up the exchange”:

Black, conversely, is “down the exchange”. This is because White has the rook, Black a bishop. The rook is stronger than the bishop (the rook is considered to be worth 5 points, the bishop 3). If Black had a knight, it would make no difference, White would still be said to be up the exchange (both the knight and bishop are “minor pieces”).

In the above position, White is up the exchange because, earlier in the game, he “won the exchange”. That is, he was able to take a rook while Black only took a bishop. Thus, Black “lost the exchange”.

“To exchange,” (a verb) on the other hand, means something completely different. When pieces are exchanged, it is when one side takes a piece, and the opponent in return makes an equal recapture. For example, check out the following position:

White “exchanged” the two rooks for Black’s two rooks. This was an equal exchange. People also say “exchange” when the pieces involved are different, but equal in value. For example:

In the sequence above, White’s two rooks were traded for Black’s queen and pawn. Two rooks are considered to be equal to a queen and pawn, so you could call it an “exchange” (i.e. that White “exchanged his rooks for the queen and pawn”).

On the other hand, if you win a queen for just a knight (a big difference in value) then it would sound strange to say “exchange”.

I understand your confusion about this terminology. In fact, in languages other than English they often call “the exchange” as “the quality”. For example, if White wins a rook for a knight, they say “White won the quality”. Why they call it “the exchange” in English is a mystery. But I hope this has shed some light on this subject.

Thanks for reading!