Protect checkmate square
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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:
- Protect the square where checkmate is threatened.
- Capture one of the pieces threatening checkmate.
- Escape with the king.
- Make an escape square for the king.
- 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 protect the square where checkmate is threatened.
Examples
White is threatening checkmate with Qg7#.
The only way to defend against the threat is to play 1...Qf8, protecting the checkmate square.
Black is threatening checkmate with Qxg2#.
White has various ways to defend against the threat:
1.Bd5? would protect the g2 square, but would lose to Nxd5.
1.g3? would block the queen's path to g2, but would lose the exchange to 1...Bxf1.
1.Bg5? or 1.Qg4? would also block the queen's path to g2, but Black could just capture the blocking piece and win material.
The only good move is Qf3, protecting g2 without losing material.
White has just captured a knight on f5, which was protecting g7, and is now threatening Qg7#.
1...Qf4+? would prevent the checkmate, but lose the queen to 2.Bxf4.
1.Qc3 is the only good move, x-ray protecting g7.