In this level, your opponent is threatening checkmate in one move.

How can you defend against this kind of threat?
There are five main ways to defend against checkmate in one move:

1. Protect the square where checkmate is threatened.
2. Capture one of the pieces threatening checkmate.
3. Escape with the king.
4. Make an escape square for the king.
5. Block one of the pieces threatening checkmate.

The following diagram illustrates the five main ways to defend against an immediate checkmate threat:

Here, Black is threatening checkmate in one move with Qxg3#. White can defend by:

• Capturing one of the pieces threatening checkmate with 1.Nxd6.
• Protecting the square where checkmate is threatened with 1.Qe1, 1.Rh3, or 1.Kh2.
• Escaping with the king with 1.Kf2. This opens an escape route to e2 and also clears the way for the rook to defend the g3 pawn.
• Blocking one of the pieces threatening checkmate with 1.g4 or 1.f4.
• Making an escape square for the king with 1.Be2 or 1.Bd3. (1.Rh2? would also make an escape square, but it would still be mate after 1...Qxg3+ 2.Kh1 Qxh2#.)

1.Bd3 is probably the best move, because after 1...Qxg3+? 2.Kf1, the queen would be trapped.

In this level, you must capture one of the pieces threatening checkmate.

Examples

Black just played Rgg2, and is now threatening Rxh2#.
White's only way to prevent checkmate is to capture the rook on b2 with 1.Rxb2.
Now the other rook has lost its support, and is no longer able to checkmate.

White has just played f6, and is now threatening Qxg7#.
1...Qxf6? would prevent Qxg7#, however then White has a different checkmate with 2.Qg8#, because from f6 Black's queen no longer protects g8.
Therefore Black's only good defence is 1...gxf6.

Related motifs