diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e8cfdd6..62bc157 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ SRCDIR=./src
 
 SRC=$(wildcard $(SRCDIR)/*.c)
 INC=$(wildcard $(SRCDIR)/*.h)
-BIN=fen pool
+
+BIN=fen pool piece
 
 CFLAGS += -std=gnu99
 CFLAGS += -g
@@ -31,3 +32,8 @@ pool: CFLAGS+=-DPOOLBIN
 pool: $(SRC)
 	echo SRC=$(SRC)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $? -o $@
+
+piece: CFLAGS+=-DPIECEBIN
+piece: $(SRC)
+	echo SRC=$(SRC)
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $? -o $@
diff --git a/src/board.h b/src/board.h
index 05f3097..fc6f641 100644
--- a/src/board.h
+++ b/src/board.h
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@
 
 typedef struct {
     piece_t piece;
-    //struct piece *s_piece;
-} board_t[8*8*2];                                 /* 0x88 board */
+    //piece_t *s_piece;
+} board_t;                                        /* 0x88 board */
+#define BOARDSIZE    (8*8*2)
 
 /* definitions for 0x88 representation
  */
diff --git a/src/chessdefs.h b/src/chessdefs.h
index e91f918..be221a1 100644
--- a/src/chessdefs.h
+++ b/src/chessdefs.h
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 #ifndef CHESSDEFS_H
 #define CHESSDEFS_H
 
+#include <stdint.h>
+
 /* piece_t bits structure
  */
 typedef unsigned char piece_t;
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ typedef unsigned char square_t;
 #define GET_R(s)        ((s) & 0x0f)
 #define SET_F(s, f)     ((s) &= 0x0f, (s) |= (f)<<4)
 #define SET_R(s, r)     ((s) &= 0xf0, (s) |= (r))
+#define SQUARE(f, r)    ((f) << 4 | (r))
 
 /* castle_t bits structure
  */
@@ -66,5 +69,8 @@ typedef unsigned char castle_t;
 #define CASTLE_W        0x03                      /* 00000011 W castle mask */
 #define CASTLE_B        0x0C                      /* 00001100 B castle mask */
 
+/* eval type
+ */
+typedef int64_t         eval_t;
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/fen.c b/src/fen.c
index 65b54a5..c7df0dd 100644
--- a/src/fen.c
+++ b/src/fen.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "position.h"
 #include "board.h"
 #include "fen.h"
+#include "piece.h"
 
 /* Starting Position :
  * rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
@@ -46,36 +47,41 @@
 pos_t *fen2pos(pos_t *pos, char *fen)
 {
     char *p = fen;
-    short rank, file, skip;
+    short rank, file, skip, color;
+    piece_t piece;
     board_t *board = pos->board;
 #   define SKIP_BLANK(p) for(;*(p) == ' '; (p)++)
 
     /* 1) get piece placement information
      */
     for (rank = 7, file = 0; *p && *p != ' '; ++p) {
+        color = !!islower(*p);
         char cp = toupper(*p);
         switch (cp) {
             case CHAR_PAWN:
-                board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece = PAWN;
-                goto color;
+                piece = PAWN;
+                goto set_square;
             case CHAR_KNIGHT:
-                board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece = KNIGHT;
-                goto color;
+                piece = KNIGHT;
+                goto set_square;
             case CHAR_BISHOP:
-                board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece = BISHOP;
-                goto color;
+                piece = BISHOP;
+                goto set_square;
             case CHAR_ROOK:
-                board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece = ROOK;
-                goto color;
+                piece = ROOK;
+                goto set_square;
             case CHAR_QUEEN:
-                board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece = QUEEN;
-                goto color;
+                piece = QUEEN;
+                goto set_square;
             case CHAR_KING:
-                board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece = KING;
-                //goto color;
+                piece = KING;
+                //goto set_square;
+            set_square:
                 //printf("f=%d r=%d *p=%c piece=%c\n", file, rank, *p, cp);
-            color:
-                SET_COLOR(board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece, islower(*p));
+                piece |= color;
+                //board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece = piece;
+                board[SQ88(file, rank)].piece = piece;
+                piece_add(pos, piece, SQUARE(file, rank));
                 //board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece |= isupper(*p)? WHITE: BLACK;
                 file++;
                 break;
@@ -87,16 +93,16 @@ pos_t *fen2pos(pos_t *pos, char *fen)
                 skip = cp - '0';
                 file += skip;
                 while (skip--) {
-                    board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece = EMPTY;
+                    board[SQ88(file, rank)].piece = EMPTY;
                 }
         }
     }
-    for (rank = 7; rank >= 0; --rank) {
+    /*for (rank = 7; rank >= 0; --rank) {
         for (file = 0; file < 8; ++file) {
             printf("%2x ", board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece);
         }
         putchar('\n');
-    }
+        }*/
 
     /* 2) next move color
      */
@@ -152,6 +158,7 @@ int main(int ac, char**av)
 {
     pos_t *pos;
 
+    piece_pool_init();
     pos = pos_create();
     if (ac == 1) {
         pos_startpos(pos);
diff --git a/src/piece.h b/src/piece.h
index 67d6075..650424e 100644
--- a/src/piece.h
+++ b/src/piece.h
@@ -17,8 +17,20 @@
 #include "chessdefs.h"
 #include "board.h"
 #include "list.h"
+#include "position.h"
+#include "pool.h"
 
-typedef struct piece {
+#define PIECE_DEFAULT_VALUE 0
+
+/* initial default values */
+#define PAWN_VALUE    100
+#define KNIGHT_VALUE  300
+#define BISHOP_VALUE  300
+#define ROOK_VALUE    500
+#define QUEEN_VALUE   900
+#define KING_VALUE    20000
+
+typedef struct {
     piece_t piece;
     square_t square;
     short castle;
@@ -26,4 +38,9 @@ typedef struct piece {
     struct list_head list;
 } piece_list_t;
 
+void piece_list_print(struct list_head *list);
+void pieces_print_pos_pieces(pos_t *pos);
+pool_t *piece_pool_init();
+piece_list_t *piece_add(pos_t *pos, piece_t piece, square_t square);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/pool.c b/src/pool.c
index 7b60b14..af866ae 100644
--- a/src/pool.c
+++ b/src/pool.c
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ pool_t *pool_init(const char *name, uint32_t growsize, size_t eltsize)
 {
     pool_t *pool;
 
+    printf("%s: name=[%s] growsize=%u eltsize=%lu\n",
+           __func__, name, growsize, eltsize);
     /* we need at least this space in struct */
     if (eltsize < sizeof (struct list_head))
         return NULL;
@@ -88,22 +90,25 @@ void *pool_get(pool_t *pool)
     if (!pool)
         return NULL;
     if (!pool->available) {
-        printf("+++ %s [%s]: allocating new pool (old=%u)\n", __func__, pool->name,
-               pool->allocated);
         void *alloc = malloc(pool->eltsize * pool->growsize);
         void *cur;
         uint32_t i;
+        printf("+++ %s [%s]: growing pool from %u to %u elements.\n", __func__,
+               pool->name,
+               pool->allocated,
+               pool->allocated + pool->growsize);
 
         if (!alloc)
             return NULL;
-        pool->allocated += pool->growsize;
         //printf("       (old=%u)\n", pool->allocated);
+        pool->allocated += pool->growsize;
+        //printf("       (new=%u)\n", pool->allocated);
         for (i = 0; i < pool->growsize; ++i) {
             cur = alloc + i * pool->eltsize;
-            printf("%s: alloc=%p cur=%p\n", __func__,
-                   alloc, cur);
+            //printf("%s: alloc=%p cur=%p\n", __func__, alloc, cur);
             _pool_add(pool, (struct list_head *)cur);
         }
+        pool_stats(pool);
     }
     //printf("%s: returning %p pointer\n", __func__, res);
     return  _pool_get(pool);
diff --git a/src/position.c b/src/position.c
index 20ed58f..3f4a506 100644
--- a/src/position.c
+++ b/src/position.c
@@ -21,7 +21,28 @@
 #include "position.h"
 #include "fen.h"
 
-inline static char piece2char(unsigned char p)
+char *piece2string(piece_t p)
+{
+    piece_t piece = PIECE(p);
+
+    switch (piece) {
+        case PAWN:
+            return "Pawn";
+        case KNIGHT:
+            return "Knight";
+        case BISHOP:
+            return "Bishop";
+        case ROOK:
+            return "Rook";
+        case QUEEN:
+            return "Queen";
+        case KING:
+            return "King";
+    }
+    return "Unknown";
+}
+
+inline static char piece2char(piece_t p)
 {
     piece_t piece = PIECE(p);
     char res;
@@ -55,6 +76,11 @@ inline static char piece2char(unsigned char p)
 
 }
 
+/* void pos_print - Print position on stdout.
+ * @pos:   Position address (pos_t * )
+ *
+ * Return: None.
+ */
 void pos_print(pos_t *pos)
 {
     int rank, file;
@@ -65,7 +91,7 @@ void pos_print(pos_t *pos)
     for (rank = 7; rank >= 0; --rank) {
         printf("%c |", rank + '1');
         for (file = 0; file < 8; ++file) {
-            piece = board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece;
+            piece = board[SQ88(file, rank)].piece;
             printf(" %c |", piece2char(piece));
         }
         printf("\n  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+\n");
@@ -101,10 +127,13 @@ pos_t *pos_init(pos_t *pos)
     int file, rank;
     board_t *board = pos->board;
 
-    for (rank = 0; rank < 8; ++rank) {
-        for (file = 0; file < 8; ++file) {
-            printf("file = %d rank = %d SQ88 = %#x\n", file, rank, SQ88(file, rank));
-            board[SQ88(file, rank)]->piece = EMPTY;
+    for (file = 0; file < 8; ++file) {
+        for (rank = 0; rank < 8; ++rank) {
+            /*printf("file = %d rank = %d SQ88 = %#2x = %d addr=%p\n", file, rank,
+                   SQ88(file, rank), SQ88(file, rank),
+                   &board[SQ88(file, rank)].piece);
+            */
+            board[SQ88(file, rank)].piece = EMPTY;
         }
     }
 
@@ -114,6 +143,8 @@ pos_t *pos_init(pos_t *pos)
     pos->curmove = 0;
     pos->en_passant = 0;
     pos->en_passant = 0;
+    INIT_LIST_HEAD(&pos->pieces_white);
+    INIT_LIST_HEAD(&pos->pieces_black);
 
     return pos;
 }
@@ -129,7 +160,9 @@ pos_t *pos_create()
 {
     pos_t *pos = malloc(sizeof(pos_t));
     if (pos) {
-        pos->board = malloc(sizeof (board_t));
+        //printf("sizeof(board)=%lu\n", sizeof (board_t));
+        pos->board = malloc(sizeof (board_t)*BOARDSIZE);
+        //printf("board mem: %p-%p\n", pos->board, pos->board+sizeof (board_t));
         if (pos->board)
             pos_init(pos);
         else {
@@ -137,7 +170,5 @@ pos_t *pos_create()
             pos = NULL;
         }
     }
-    INIT_LIST_HEAD(&pos->w_pieces);
-    INIT_LIST_HEAD(&pos->b_pieces);
     return pos;
 }
diff --git a/src/position.h b/src/position.h
index 3cf95ca..11baf7c 100644
--- a/src/position.h
+++ b/src/position.h
@@ -25,10 +25,14 @@ typedef struct position {
     square_t en_passant;
     short clock_50;
     short curmove;
+    eval_t eval;
+    struct list_head pieces_white;
+    struct list_head pieces_black;
     board_t *board;
-    struct list_head w_pieces, b_pieces;
 } pos_t;
 
+/* TODO: replace piece2string/piece2char with static array*/
+char *piece2string(piece_t piece);
 void pos_print(pos_t *pos);
 pos_t *pos_init(pos_t *pos);
 pos_t *pos_startpos(pos_t *pos);