It is all very well to look out for checkmates in the early part of the game, but what happens when we are down to a very few pieces? Look at the diagram. It is White's turn.

Clearly, White can push the pawn to a8 and get a queen. But what then? Can White checkmate Black? The answer is "Yes, but not straight away!"

The squares attacked by the White pieces are shaded green to help you understand why each move is made.

Click on the pawn for the next screen.