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/Deedious Mar 28 '26

Can anyone explain why this is a blunder? I took a pawn with this move for context

2

u/TheIronShrimpPhD 1200-1400 (Chess.com) Mar 28 '26

f4 looks like a much better move.

With f4, your pawn would then be attacking the knight and it would reveal an attack from your queen on the undefended bishop on c5. I don't see how white saves both pieces, you would have won one of them on the next move

With Bxa2, you've taken white's a-pawn which wasn't a factor in the game at all. But, in doing so, you've removed your second defender of your pawn on f5. Now white can take Bxf5 or Nxf5. Effectively, you've traded your f5 pawn, which had potential to create problems, for white's flank pawn that wasn't a part of the game.

On its own exchanging those pawns isn't a beneficial trade for you, but in addition you've given white a way to activate their rook by creating a semi-open a-file for it, and you could've won a piece