Block checkmate threat

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Block the checkmate threat

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.

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

Examples

Black is threatening checkmate with Qxg2#.
White could give a check by capturing on f7 with the bishop or queen, but this would just lose material without defending against the threat.
Therefore White has to block by advancing the g-pawn.
g3 is the only good move, as g4 would lose to Qxg4+ followed by Qg2#.

White is threatening checkmate with Qg7#.
Black could capture the f-pawn with Nxf6, but this would lose the knight (White could also checkmate with Rg3+ followed by Qg7#).
Black could block the queen with Rf7, but that would leave the rook on e8 unprotected, and lose to Qxe8+.
The only good move is Qf7, blocking the queen, and remaining a knight up.

Sometimes the only way to defend is to prepare a block, as in the following example:

White is threatening checkmate with Rh3#.
The only way to defend is to play Rf6, so that Rh3+ can be blocked with Rh6.

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