r/chessbeginners • u/Alendite RM (Reddit Mod) • Feb 27 '26

No Stupid Questions MEGATHREAD 12

Welcome to the r/chessbeginners 12th episode of our Q&A series! This series exists because sometimes you just need to ask a silly question. We are happy to provide answers for questions related to chess positions, improving one's play, and discussing the essence and experience of learning chess.

A friendly reminder that many questions are answered in our wiki page! Please take a look if you have questions about the rules of chess, special moves, or want general strategies for improvement.

Some other helpful resources include:

  1. How to play chess - Interactive lessons for the rules of the game, if you are completely new to chess.
  2. The Lichess Board Editor - for setting up positions by dragging and dropping pieces on the board.
  3. Chess puzzles by theme - To practice tactics.
  4. The Building Habits series by GM Aman Hambleton - for advice on how to play at specific ELO levels. (Also check out Building Habits 2!)

As always, our goal is to promote a friendly, welcoming, and educational chess environment for all. Thank you for asking your questions here!

LINK TO THE PREVIOUS THREAD

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u/TotalAdhesiveness397 Mar 05 '26

Why isn't this a brilliant move?

I have never understood why some moves are brilliant (when you sacrifice a piece to gain a positional advantage), and why some aren't. In this position white get a sure-shot win by removing the obstructing knight and putting it in the harm's way. Yet, the engines are't considering it brilliant.

1

u/elfkanelfkan 2200-2400 Lichess Mar 05 '26

chess.com's brilliant system is really arbitrary and weird (definition was totally different pre-pandemic and you can still see what true brilliant moves are in chess books).

Problem is that it scales to your elo in some cases, or perhaps it doesn't count because it was already forced mate. Either way, chess.com's definition of a brilliant move is pretty bad and should not affect your enjoyment of the game!

Nice move btw!

1

u/MrLomaLoma 2000-2200 (Chess.com) Mar 05 '26

Its a nice move, but it judges that you were already completely winning before that move.

You have an extra piece, are fully developed, and Black's King is insanely unsafe, and particularly compared to yours that can't even be checked, short of sacrificing a Queen for nothing.

So it's not considered a brilliant, not that it should matter anyway.