fabianocaruana vs Beca95

White seized the opportunity and played 34.Rxa6, the rook on a3 captured the undefended black pawn on a6. The move instantly wins a pawn, removes Black's only pawn on the a‑file and leaves Black with no immediate threats. After the capture White still threatens the pawn on f7 (the bishop on d5 attacks f7) and the black rook on g5 remains hanging, but Black cannot exploit the fact that White's king on b1 and bishop on d5 are also undefended because Black has no active moves that hit those squares.

The engine rates 34.Rxa6 as the best continuation because it converts a free, undefended pawn into a material gain without creating any tactical liabilities. Any alternative, such as 34.Bxf7+, would give up the bishop’s strong diagonal and still leave the pawn on a6 alive, while Black would retain the rook on g5 and could generate counterplay with moves like …f5. By taking on a6 White improves the material balance, keeps the bishop’s pressure on f7, and forces Black into a passive reply (the engine suggests …f5), preserving the winning edge.

Grab Unprotected Material: When the opponent leaves a piece undefended, the highest‑priority move is to capture it. Securing free pawns or pieces outweighs speculative attacks, especially when the opponent has no immediate counter‑threats.