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 have to escape with the king.

Examples

White is threatening Qh8#.
Black could play 1...Nh7? to block the queen from h8, but that would lose the knight to 2.Qxh7+.
Black's only good move is to escape with the king by playing 1.Kf8.
If White now plays 2.Qh8+, Black's king can escape further to e7.

Black is threatening Damiano's bishop mate with Qg2# or Qh1#.
White's only way to prevent checkmate is to escape with the king with 1.Kf1.
If Black now gives check with 1...Qg2+ or 1...Qh1+, White's king can escape further with 2.Ke2 (if 1...Qg2+, 2.Ke1 is also possible).

Related motifs