What is Clearance sacrifice in chess?
Sacrificing a piece to vacate a square or line so another piece can use it.
The sacrificed piece moves away or captures something, opening up the route you really wanted. The idea is to make room for a more powerful piece that will decide the game.
Spot clearance sacrifice in your own games
Free. Chess2EZ finds the patterns you keep missing and explains each in plain English.
Analyze my games →More chess terms
- Trapped pieceA piece with no safe squares to move to - it can be won for free or cheaply.
- Hanging pieceAn undefended piece that can be captured for free.
- En priseA French phrase meaning a piece is in a position to be captured.
- Smothered mateCheckmate by a knight when the king is boxed in by its own pieces.
- DevelopmentBringing your knights and bishops off the back rank into the game.
- TempoA single move counted as a unit of time.