Clearance sacrifice

Clearance sacrifice is a tactical motif which involves the vacation of a square on the chessboard to open up lines of attack. The tactic may also result in the substitution of a piece hindering the attack by a piece useful to the attack.

Example of clearance sacrifice
abcdefgh
8
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
1.Rf8+ Rxf8 2.Qg8+ Rxg8 3.Nf7#

Example

In the diagram, the clearance sacrifice 1.Rf8+ vacates the f7 square and, after 1…Rxf8 (better than 1...Bxf8 2.Qg8#), White utilizes the battery on the a2–g8 diagonal. After 2.Qg8+ Rxg8 (only move), White mates with 3.Nf7#, utilizing the f7 square vacated by the clearance sacrifice.[1]

References

  1. George Huczek (2017). A to Z Chess Tactics. Batsford. pp. 1–349. ISBN 978-1-8499-4446-5.
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