What To Do When You’re Losing?

PLEASE LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE

When you are defending a bad position, you have to be able to balance between passively defending and creating counter-threats. How can Black (Magnus Carlsen!) defend?

Very good. Black must defend against the threat of 2.Qxh7#. Moves by the h-pawn would have failed, and Black had no immediate counter-threats.

White was tempted to win a piece by this move, but it was the wrong time! This move lets the rook from e8 become active. Instead, White could have simply played a waiting move such as 2.Ka2, when Black is in zugzwang!
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Black’s situation looks bad. White is threatening 3.d7, driving the rook away, followed by 4. Ne7+ fork. 3.Ne7+ immediately is also a threat. But Black has a way to escape. How!?

Very good! This dangerous pawn had to be eliminated, even at the cost of a piece. 

White must capture the knight, otherwise Black would have won the pawn for nothing while keeping the king defended. 
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The rook is under attack. What should Black do now?

Good job. The queen could not capture the knight due to 4.Qxh7#, but instead the rook just moves away, and now threatens the knight. 

White actually played 4.Nc4, but after 4…Qxe4 Black’s pieces had broken free and now the white king was in great danger. Black eventually won. Instead we will see what would happen if White tried to keep the black pieces contained. 
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White has won a piece. But now it is time for a lightning counter-attack! Black to play. 

Bravo! Black’s position was hopeless otherwise, so counter-attack is the only way. 

5.Ka2 would have been met by 5…Qe6+ forcing 6.Kb2, when Black can reach the same position. 
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Black is still threatened by the same things. How can Black keep up the counterattack before White can do anything?

Right! Although at the start it looked like Black could do nothing but defend, this move forces checkmate. Notice that in order for this to be possible, the black pawn could not have advanced to b5. This is why, instead of 2.d6, White should have played a waiting move, forcing the b-pawn to move. 

6.Ka2 would be met in the same way. 
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How can Black finish the attack?

Good job! The king is chased up the board, leading to checkmate next move. 

The only way out of check.
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How does Black end the game?

Very good! This is checkmate. White had an overwhelming position, but Black’s sturdy defense set problems for White, and after the hasty 2.d6? the game spun out of control.