Chess Patterns   ❯   Tactical Patterns | One-Idea Tactics   ❯   Clearance

  • Clearance strategy card with definition, diagram and tips - front
  • Clearance strategy card with definition, diagram and tips - back
  • Clearance chess icon
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Clearance

Clearance

Clearance is a chess tactic in which you vacate a square, rank, file or diagonal to open up an important line of attack. While this tactic is often associated with a sacrifice, it doesn't always require one. In the diagram above, despite Black's King finding refuge in a corner, White played the quiet but deadly 1.a4, clearing the a3 square for the Queen's upcoming Qa3#.

When Clearing a Square or Line: (1) Be mindful of counterattacks that can render your tactic less effective. Against a Clearance Tactic: (1) Block the recently opened lines of attack with other pieces.
(2) Initiate a counterattack on another area of the board.

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Master the Clearance Tactic

When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on Clearance tactics. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this tactical pattern.

 
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