--- title: "Centipawn in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/centipawn.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/centipawn" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "A centipawn is one hundredth of a pawn, the small unit engines use to report evaluations. The centipawn is the unit behind engine scores." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/evaluation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/average-centipawn-loss.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/evaluation-bar.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/accuracy.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/inaccuracy.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/computer-chess.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Centipawn in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. A centipawn is one hundredth of a pawn, the small unit engines use to report evaluations. The centipawn is the unit behind engine scores. A centipawn is one hundredth of a pawn, the small unit engines use to report evaluations, so a score of 150 centipawns means the engine thinks one side is about one and a half pawns better. The centipawn is the unit behind [engine](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-engine.md) scores. One hundred centipawns equal the value of a pawn, so a lead of 50 centipawns is half a pawn and a lead of 300 is about the value of a minor piece. Showing [evaluations](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/evaluation.md) in this fine unit lets engines express small positional differences that a whole number of pawns would hide. Centipawns are used to measure how much a move changed the evaluation. If the [best move](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/best-move.md) kept the score at plus 40 and you played a move that dropped it to minus 60, you lost 100 centipawns with that decision. Averaging such losses across a game gives a simple measure of how closely you followed the engine. Keep the scale in perspective. The numbers are not a promise of results, and the same score can mean different things depending on whether the position is tactical or quiet. A loss of ten or twenty centipawns is usually noise for a human. Losses of two hundred or more tend to mark real [mistakes](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mistake.md) worth reviewing, and those are the moments to examine with care in your own games. Also called: centipawns. It sits close to [Average centipawn loss](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/average-centipawn-loss.md). Average centipawn loss, or ACPL, is the mean amount of evaluation a player gave up per move compared with the engine's best choice, measured in hundredths of a pawn, so lower figures mean cleaner play. A neighboring idea is [Evaluation bar](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/evaluation-bar.md). The evaluation bar is a vertical or horizontal gauge beside the board that shows, with a bar of black and white, which side the engine thinks is better and by roughly how much. A neighboring idea is [Inaccuracy](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/inaccuracy.md). An inaccuracy is the mildest error label in game review, given to a move that is playable but gives up a small amount of advantage compared with the engine's better alternative. An engine can tell you what "Centipawn" means for a position, but not which mistakes you keep making; a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) with George Li reviews your games and finds those. ## Related terms - [Evaluation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/evaluation.md) - [Average centipawn loss](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/average-centipawn-loss.md) - [Evaluation bar](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/evaluation-bar.md) - [Accuracy](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/accuracy.md) - [Blunder](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder.md) - [Inaccuracy](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/inaccuracy.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Evaluation in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/evaluation.md) - [Average centipawn loss in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/average-centipawn-loss.md) - [Evaluation bar in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/evaluation-bar.md) - [Accuracy in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/accuracy.md) - [Blunder in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder.md) - [Inaccuracy in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/inaccuracy.md) - [Chess terms: Computer chess and analysis](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/computer-chess.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)