Tactics · Learn
Clearance
A clearance vacates a square or line for another of your pieces: sometimes sacrificing the piece that's in the way. The point is the square, not the piece you give.
How to spot it: notice when one of your own pieces blocks the ideal path of a rook, bishop, or queen: or sits on the square a knight or pawn wants. Clear it, often with tempo (a capture or threat), so the second piece lands with decisive effect.
How to spot it: notice when one of your own pieces blocks the ideal path of a rook, bishop, or queen: or sits on the square a knight or pawn wants. Clear it, often with tempo (a capture or threat), so the second piece lands with decisive effect.
Now spot it yourself
A real position: find the move. This is exactly what the drills in the app do, banded from beginner to expert.
How this lesson is made: this public explanation comes from the authored Strong Squares curriculum. Automated checks protect its chess data, source fields and learning flow. Independent chess-editor approval remains part of the private-preview release process. Read the teaching method.