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 protect the promotion square.

Examples

White is bishop and pawn up, but Black has a passed pawn threatening to promote.
The only way to stop the pawn is to play 1.Kd2, and protect the promotion square.

Rooks and queens can stop a passed pawn from behind:

Black is threatening to promote the passed pawn with c1=Q.
The only way to defend is to play 1.Rc6, x-ray protecting the promotion square with the rook.

White is up bishop for pawn, but Black has a passed pawn threatening to promote with a1=Q.
The only way to prevent the promotion is to play 1.c4, clearing the way for the bishop e5 to protect a1.

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