Pawn To Queen

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  • I Captured the Queen and Missed Checkmate: A Common Mistake

    a-common-chess-mistake

    In a recent chess puzzle, I faced a familiar situation:
    I saw the opponent’s queen hanging, and without hesitation, I grabbed it. A free queen! What could be better?

    But then I looked at the puzzle solution.
    And my heart sank.

    There was a checkmate in one.

    And I missed it.

    Why Capturing the Queen Isn’t Always the Best Move

    For most beginner and intermediate players (myself included), capturing the queen feels like the ultimate win. It’s the most powerful piece on the board, after all.

    But that’s the trap.

    We’re often so fixated on material gain that we forget the primary goal: checkmate.

    In this puzzle, the checkmate was right there — a simple, clean finish. But because I was so drawn to the hanging queen, I missed the opportunity to end the game.

    The Psychology Behind Missing Checkmate for a Queen

    This isn’t just a tactical mistake — it’s a mindset mistake. Here’s why it happens:

    • Tunnel vision: We focus on the biggest piece instead of the biggest threat.
    • Greed over goal: Capturing the queen feels satisfying, even if it’s not the most efficient move.
    • Lack of pattern recognition: I didn’t recognize the mating net forming.

    This is a classic example of a chess blunder where the move isn’t technically wrong, but it’s far from the best.

    How to Stop Missing Checkmate in Puzzles

    1. Before capturing anything, ask: Is there a check?
      Always check for checks! Especially forced checks that can lead to mate.
    2. Look for forcing moves
      Checks > Captures > Threats. That’s the golden order in puzzle solving.
    3. Use puzzle rush mode wisely
      Don’t rush blindly for points — use it to train your pattern recognition.
    4. Study common checkmate patterns
      Like back rank mate, smothered mate, Queen + Knight mates, etc.

    The Lesson I Took Away

    That puzzle was humbling.

    It reminded me that chess isn’t about grabbing the biggest piece — it’s about seeing the whole board.
    I’ve started to slow down during puzzles and ask:
    “If this weren’t a queen, would I still take it?”

    Sometimes, the best move isn’t the most obvious one.
    Sometimes, checkmate is just one move away, and all we have to do is not get greedy.

  • Learning Chess as an Adult: Why I Started at 43

    learning chess as an adult

    I’m 43 years old, and recently I started learning chess as an adult. Most people assume that if you want to get good at something like chess, you have to start early — as a kid, competing in school, growing your ELO with years of practice.

    Well, that wasn’t my story.

    A Missing Piece

    I always admired chess from afar. The quiet intensity, the discipline, the endless patterns. But for most of my life, I thought chess wasn’t “for me.” I wasn’t a prodigy. I didn’t memorize openings. I didn’t even know the names of some pieces until embarrassingly late.

    But then something shifted.

    During a quiet evening not long ago, I found myself watching a chess game online — just a casual match between two players on YouTube. I couldn’t believe how deep, how precise, and how emotional every move could be.

    It wasn’t just a game. It was a language.

    And I wanted to learn to speak it.

    Learning Chess from Zero

    I downloaded a chess app, played my first few games, and lost — badly.
    But it didn’t matter. Something clicked. I started watching tutorials. Solving puzzles. Learning names like the Queen’s Gambit, the Sicilian Defense, and the dreaded Scholar’s Mate.

    Before I knew it, I was checking my ELO every day.

    At one point, I reached 735 — not much by competitive standards, but it felt like Everest to me.

    Today, I’ve dropped to 650.

    It hurts a bit to admit that. But that’s why I’m writing this blog — to track that very journey. The ups. The downs. The “how did I miss that bishop?” moments. The blunders. The breakthroughs.

    Why I Keep Learning Chess at 43

    I play because I want to learn.
    I play because it humbles me.
    And I play because, even at 43, it feels like I’m discovering a new part of myself — one square at a time.

    This blog is my personal notebook, but also an invitation.
    If you’ve ever wondered if it’s “too late” to learn something challenging, I hope my journey shows you it’s not.

    It’s never too late to become a better thinker.
    Or to move your pawn… all the way to the queen.

    ♛ Thanks for reading.
    I’ll be posting regularly here at PawnToQueen.blog — sharing my games, mistakes, insights, and everything in between. See you in the next post.