Clearance
Move or sacrifice a piece to open a line, file, or square for another piece to exploit.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: Clearance is one of those ideas that sounds obvious when explained but is surprisingly hard to see over the board. The concept is simple: one of your own pieces is in the way, and you need to move it so that another piece can use that square, line, or diagonal. What makes it tricky is that we naturally think of our own pieces as assets, not obstacles. Recognizing that your own piece is blocking a winning move requires a shift in perspective. I struggled with this concept for a long time before it clicked.
What Is Clearance?
Clearance is a tactical and strategic concept where you move one of your own pieces out of the way to allow another piece to use the vacated square, line, or diagonal more effectively. The clearing move might be a simple retreat, a productive advance, or even a sacrifice.
The concept arises from a common situation in chess: your pieces are well-placed, but they are getting in each other's way. A rook might want to use the d-file, but your own knight is standing on d4. A queen might want to reach h7 for a mating attack, but your own bishop is blocking the diagonal. In these cases, moving the blocking piece — even sacrificing it — can unlock the full power of your position.
Clearance comes in three main forms. First, a clearance move: you simply move the blocking piece to a useful square, solving two problems at once. The piece gets out of the way and lands somewhere productive. Second, a clearance sacrifice: you sacrifice the blocking piece (often by capturing something or offering it for trade) to open the line immediately. Third, a clearance pawn push: you advance a pawn to open a file or diagonal for your pieces.
The key insight is that pieces sometimes hinder each other. Chess is a game of cooperation between your pieces, and sometimes the best cooperation involves one piece stepping aside so another can do its job.
Clearance Sacrifices
The most dramatic form of clearance is the clearance sacrifice, where a piece gives itself up specifically to open a line or vacate a square for a more powerful follow-up.
Consider a position where your rook on d1 would deliver checkmate if only your own knight were not on d5, blocking the file. You cannot simply move the knight to a quiet square because your opponent would use that tempo to defend. But what if the knight captures on e7 with check? The knight is sacrificed (Black recaptures), but the d-file is now open, and Rd8 is mate. The knight sacrifice was not about winning material — it was about clearing the d-file.
Pawn clearance sacrifices are also common. A pawn on e5 might block your bishop's diagonal. Pushing e6 (sacrificing the pawn if it is captured) opens the diagonal and might also create threats against f7 or force the opponent to make concessions.
The beauty of clearance sacrifices is that they often look illogical at first glance. Why would you give up a knight for nothing? Why would you push a pawn to a square where it will be captured? The answer is always the same: the piece or pawn was blocking something more valuable than itself.
When evaluating a clearance sacrifice, the calculation is straightforward: is the tactical opportunity gained by clearing the line worth more than the material invested? If clearing the d-file leads to checkmate, the answer is obviously yes. If it only gains a small positional advantage, you need to weigh the cost more carefully.
Clearance in Practical Play
Clearance moves appear in every phase of the game, from opening to endgame. Let us look at some practical contexts.
In the opening, clearance often involves developing pieces in the right order. You might need to move your knight before you can develop your bishop, or push a pawn before your rook can use a file. These are everyday clearance moves that we make without thinking about them as "tactics."
In the middlegame, clearance becomes more tactical. A piece might need to vacate a square so another piece can deliver a decisive blow. The clearance might involve a sacrifice, a forcing capture, or a threatening move that also clears the way. The challenge is seeing that your own piece is the obstacle.
In the position shown, think about the central structure and which pieces might benefit from the removal of a central pawn or the relocation of a blocking piece. Opening the center with a pawn break is one of the most common clearance techniques in chess.
In the endgame, clearance often involves the king. Your king might need to step aside to let a passed pawn promote, or a piece might need to move to create a promotion path. King and pawn endgames frequently feature clearance ideas where one pawn must advance to clear the way for another.
The universal lesson is this: always consider whether your own pieces are blocking your plans, and look for creative ways to get them out of the path.
Sometimes your own pieces block the path. Clearance removes the obstacle to unleash your attack.
Clearance vs. Interference
Clearance and interference are opposite sides of the same coin. Both involve the placement or movement of pieces on critical lines, but their purposes are directly opposed.
Clearance opens a line for your own pieces. You move your piece out of the way so that another of your pieces can use the line. The goal is to improve your own coordination and unlock tactical possibilities for your side.
Interference closes a line for your opponent's pieces. You place a piece on a line to block the connection between two of your opponent's pieces. The goal is to disrupt their coordination and create tactical opportunities from their disconnection.
Understanding this relationship helps you think about lines more dynamically. Every line on the board is a potential highway for pieces, and the game often comes down to who controls those highways. Clearance opens your highways. Interference closes your opponent's.
In complex positions, both themes can appear in the same combination. You might clear one line for your rook while simultaneously interfering with your opponent's defensive line. These multi-layered tactics are the hallmark of deeply calculated chess.
Practice seeing the board in terms of lines and the pieces that use them. When you think about ranks, files, and diagonals as channels of influence, concepts like clearance and interference become intuitive rather than abstract.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clearance in chess?
Clearance is a tactic where you move one of your own pieces out of the way to open a line, file, diagonal, or square for another of your pieces to use more effectively. The clearing move may be a simple retreat, a productive advance, or even a sacrifice.
How do you use clearance in a game?
Identify when one of your own pieces is blocking a powerful move by another piece. Move the blocking piece to a productive square, or sacrifice it with a forcing move like a capture or check, to open the path for the more impactful follow-up.
Professor Archer says: When you feel stuck in a position — when your pieces seem to have good potential but something is blocking them — look at your own pieces as potential obstacles. Sometimes the best move is not adding a new attacker but removing one of your own pieces from the path. Clearance is the art of getting out of your own way.
Quick Quiz
White's knight on d5 is blocking the d-file, preventing the rook on d1 from delivering mate. White plays Nxe7+ (check), and after the king moves, Rd8 is checkmate. What type of move was Nxe7+?
- A fork - While the knight check might attack the king and something else, the primary purpose was to vacate d5 so the rook could use the d-file for mate.
- A clearance sacrifice (Correct) - Correct. The knight moved from d5 (with check, buying a tempo) specifically to clear the d-file for the rook to deliver checkmate. This is a textbook clearance sacrifice.
- An interference - Interference blocks a line between enemy pieces. Here, the knight is clearing a line for a friendly piece, which is the opposite — clearance.
- A deflection - A deflection forces an enemy piece away from a key duty. Here, a friendly piece is being moved out of the way, not an enemy one.