Your opponent is threatening to promote a pawn on the next move. Getting a new queen will win the game in most cases, so how can you defend against this kind of threat?

There are two main ways to defend against promotion:

1. Protect the promotion square.
2. Block the promotion square.

In the first diagram, the white rook protects the promotion square. If the black pawn promotes, the rook can capture the new queen.

A rook or queen can also protect the promotion square from behind. In the second diagram, the white rook stands behind the black pawn. The rook can’t move to the promotion square; however, if the pawn promotes, the rook can capture the new queen. This is an x-ray defense of the promotion square.

In the third diagram, the white rook protects the promotion square. However, if the pawn promotes, the black rook will protect the new queen. To defend, the white rook must move in front of the pawn and block the promotion square, as indicated by the arrow.

In this level, you must block the promotion square.

Examples

White threatens to promote the passed pawn with g8=Q.
The only way to stop the pawn is to block it with 1...Rg1.

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