Help - How is this not checkmate?!

Hi all,

I'm very new to chess (playing c. 12 months) - the resources availble at chess.com are inspiring and the more I learn and see makes me realise how little I understand about this wonderful game. To that end I require a little help in understanding why the attached game is not checkmate for white. I can't for the life of me see a legal move available to black. Am I missing something glaringly obvious!?

Many thanks in advance for your time and efforts.

Paul

looks like mate to me. was this from a recent game?

Thanks for the speedy reply. The game was played over the last week or so on this site.

Perhaps a pesky bug in the system?

Black can take your pawn via en passant.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/En_passant

Possibly not mate if Black can play bxa3 en passant. Need to know White's prior move.

He said in his post his last move was a4.

Obviously last move was a4. Only legal possibility. But was it a2-a4 or a3-a4?

He said "My last move: 39. a4."

Pretty clear eh.  Or do you think he was lying ?

For those who don't know LadyMisil is an agent of the North Korean State who's job it is to spread propoganda.

Again, it is not clear. Was the pawn originally on a2 or a3? Difference between mate and not.

Lagomorph has the facts wrong. I am Queen of North Korea. I have subordinates spread the propaganda.

 https://www.chess.com/daily/game/140352032?page=1

So yes, the black pawn on b4 can take the white pawn on a4 en passant, as wanmowekan pointed out.

Apologies, I should have been clearer. My last move was a2 - a4, meaning black's b4 pawn ends up on a3 and takes my pawn? I do remember reading somewhere re this en passant but let it slip out of mind clearly....!

Thanks your relevant comments (not so many thanks for your irrelevant ones).

Can you please take your dislike of each other in a different thread? The OPs last move had to be a2-a4, and black can do bxa3 e.p.

Why was Lagomorph's comment on me being 100% bullsh*t deleted? I thought it was most revealing and I did not mind his name calling at all.

Wanmo, it is already on two threads that Lagomorph started the criticisms.

Because we are NOT starting a conversation about the holocaust in this thread. Or in any other thread in the public forums - try Open Discussion instead.

Does race matter?

Worth reading up on "En passant", a fairly standard rule in chess for centuries, it is like a soldier running to fast, exposing his flank and hence in this case gets taken, so not check mate mate.

All, 

Many thanks for the great suggestions and comments; let's keep it relevant though.

King2queenside's analogy re a solider running too fast and exposing his flank is fantastic.

Cheers!