Clearance puzzles
You move a piece away, often with a threat, to open a square, file or diagonal for another piece..
About clearance puzzles
You move a piece away, often with a threat, to open a square, file or diagonal for another piece.
How to spot it
- Look at which square you want a piece to reach and what is standing on it.
- Move the blocker with check or a threat so the opponent has no time to respond.
- Check that the cleared line really reaches the target.
A common mistake
Clearing a line without a threat, which gives the opponent a free move.
A worked example
B
R
KR
Q
Q
B
R
KWhite to move. Black has just played Qxg6. Find the best move.
Solution: 30. Qxg6+ hxg6 31. Rh8#
Qxg6+ checks the king and also attacks the rook on f7 and the pawn on h7, so your opponent has to answer the check. The last move is checkmate: the king has no safe square and nothing can block or capture. The idea: You move a piece away, often with a threat, to open a square, file or diagonal for another piece..
The highlighted squares show Black's last move. This position is a different puzzle from the ones you start with above (1226 rating).
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Questions
How is a clearance different from a discovered attack?
In a discovered attack the unmasked piece attacks something. In a clearance the cleared square or line is used by a different piece, such as a pawn or a knight.
Where do these puzzles come from?
They are real puzzles from the Lichess puzzle database, which is free to use under the CC0 license. Each one was built from a real game and tested by many players. We picked well-rated ones with good popularity scores.
Are the puzzles free?
Yes. There is no signup, no limit and no ads on the puzzles. Your progress on this page is not saved after you leave.
What do the difficulty levels mean?
Beginner puzzles are rated under 1250, intermediate 1250 to 1749 and advanced 1750 and up, using the rating Lichess players earned on each puzzle.