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Defend against checkmate: protecting (1)

This lesson is about clearing away as a means of defense. Clearence you have used before to protect a piece. We are now going to use it to defend a mating square.

The piece that is in the way moves to clear the line. Now, the back piece defends the mating square.

Difficult? Study the example to learn how it works.

What do you have to do?
Defend against checkmate by protecting the mating square. Defend the mating square by moving the piece that blocks the line, rank or diagonal.
Black’s queen wants to checkmate on the green square. None of White’s pieces can immediately defend this square.

Fortunately, chessmen can help eachother.
White pushes his pawn and now the queen joins the action.
She protects the green square.
It would be foolish for Black to move his queen there. She would be taken.