Answers.Body: <p>In my opinion, capturing with the pawn is the correct move, and the logic behind the move is twofold and more of a strategic one.</p>
  
  <p>First, you remove a weakness of your own. Black's <code>a</code> pawn is an isolated one and it creates a pawn island of its own. Therefore, after capturing with the pawn, you no longer have any isolated pawns and you've only got just one pawn island, instead of two (typically a pawn structure with less pawn islands is superior to a pawn structure one with more pawn islands).</p>
  
  <p>Also, capturing with the pawn exposes a weakness in the White camp, namely the <code>a</code> pawn. It is also an isolated pawn and by capturing with the <code>b</code> pawn Black opens a file against it (creates a target) and can later in the game exploit the weakness by adding pressure along the opened <code>a</code> file.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-08-19T12:14:52.217Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-08-19T12:14:52.217Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tomislav Dyulgerov
Answers.Body: <p>I would take the rook with the pawn, because it allows you to move the rook to the corner and then pressure the white queen with your queen, in other words
  Ra8
  (black does whatever)
  Qa2</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-08-19T22:31:07.420Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Bri Weinberg
Answers.Body: <p>After axb4 the a2-pawn is a fixed weakness that can easily be further attacked with Ra8. Defending this pawn will force whites heavy pieces into passive positions. </p>
  
  <p>Taking with the queen or the rook on b4 will allow Rb1 with a rook exchange. Even if this rook exchange happens on b4 and therefore creates the same pawn structure as after an immediate axb4, the defence of a weak a-pawn will be much easier without the rooks. In fact white might be able to exchange the a-pawn for the b-pawn relatively quickly. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-08-19T12:04:36.853Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: BlindKungFuMaster
Body: <p>From the given position, <strong>is it better to take with rook or the a-pawn and why ?</strong></p>
  
  <p><em>Black to move</em>:</p>
  
  <p>The engine suggested the move <code>axb4</code>, why?</p>
  
  <p>There must be some strategical or tactical point (ignore the arrows in the diagram).</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ArHF8.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ArHF8.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
Tags: <analysis><strategy><tactics><middlegame>
Title: Choosing one move from the two moves
ThreadText: # Choosing one move from the two moves
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-19)
  
  From the given position, **is it better to take with rook or the a-pawn and why ?**
  
  *Black to move*:
  
  The engine suggested the move `axb4`, why?
  
  There must be some strategical or tactical point (ignore the arrows in the diagram).
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ArHF8.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ArHF8.png)
  
  **Tags:** analysis, strategy, tactics, middlegame
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2015-08-19. Score: 7 | Accepted answer
  
  After axb4 the a2-pawn is a fixed weakness that can easily be further attacked with Ra8. Defending this pawn will force whites heavy pieces into passive positions.
  
  Taking with the queen or the rook on b4 will allow Rb1 with a rook exchange. Even if this rook exchange happens on b4 and therefore creates the same pawn structure as after an immediate axb4, the defence of a weak a-pawn will be much easier without the rooks. In fact white might be able to exchange the a-pawn for the b-pawn relatively quickly.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_1 on 2015-08-19. Score: 4
  
  In my opinion, capturing with the pawn is the correct move, and the logic behind the move is twofold and more of a strategic one.
  
  First, you remove a weakness of your own. Black's `a` pawn is an isolated one and it creates a pawn island of its own. Therefore, after capturing with the pawn, you no longer have any isolated pawns and you've only got just one pawn island, instead of two (typically a pawn structure with less pawn islands is superior to a pawn structure one with more pawn islands).
  
  Also, capturing with the pawn exposes a weakness in the White camp, namely the `a` pawn. It is also an isolated pawn and by capturing with the `b` pawn Black opens a file against it (creates a target) and can later in the game exploit the weakness by adding pressure along the opened `a` file.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-19. Score: 0
  
  I would take the rook with the pawn, because it allows you to move the rook to the corner and then pressure the white queen with your queen, in other words
  Ra8
  (black does whatever)
  Qa2
  
  
  ---
  
  