--- title: "Clearance sacrifice in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/clearance-sacrifice.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/clearance-sacrifice" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "A clearance sacrifice gives up material to remove a piece from a square, file, rank or diagonal. A clearance sacrifice pays material to get rid of the blocker." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/vacating-sacrifice.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deflection.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/decoy.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/combination.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Clearance sacrifice in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. A clearance sacrifice gives up material to remove a piece from a square, file, rank or diagonal. A clearance sacrifice pays material to get rid of the blocker. A clearance sacrifice gives up material to remove a piece from a square, file, rank or diagonal, so that another of your pieces can use that line or square for a winning or mating move. Sometimes your own pieces, or an enemy piece, are standing in the way of your attack. A clearance [sacrifice](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/sacrifice.md) pays material to get rid of the blocker. The move is not the point. The point is the line or square it frees, which lets another piece deliver mate or win more than was given up. The sacrificed piece can be your own, moved off a key line, or an enemy piece that you [capture](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/capture.md) or force to leave. It often comes with a check or a capture, because a forcing move gives the opponent no time to fix the problem. Typical targets are a [diagonal](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/diagonal.md) for a bishop, a file for a queen or rook, or a square for a [knight](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/knight.md). To find one, first picture the finished position. Ask which of your pieces would give mate or win material if only one square or line were free, then ask what is blocking it and whether you can move that piece with tempo. A clearance sacrifice is closely related to a [vacating sacrifice](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/vacating-sacrifice.md), where a piece moves away to make a square available for another piece. To defend, watch for your own pieces that block your key defensive lines, and be careful when your king is covered only by a single bishop or rook. In the diagram White's rook on e5 blocks the bishop on b2 from the long diagonal to g7, while the queen on h6 is ready to mate. White plays Re8+. Black must take with Rxe8, since every king move is covered. The diagonal is now open, and Qg7 is [checkmate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/checkmate.md), with the bishop supporting the queen. ## Example position White to move plays Re8+. After Rxe8 the rook has cleared the long diagonal for the bishop on b2, and Qg7# is checkmate. Black has no other reply, because every king move is covered. Position (FEN): `r5k1/5p1p/7Q/4R3/8/8/1B3PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1` Compare it with [Underpromotion](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/underpromotion.md). Underpromotion is promoting a pawn to a rook, bishop or knight instead of a queen, chosen because the lesser piece wins or draws more in the position at hand. It sits close to [Queen sacrifice](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/queen-sacrifice.md). A queen sacrifice gives up the strongest piece on the board, usually with a check or a capture, to win through a forced checkmate or to gain enough other material to be clearly ahead. To see how often "Clearance sacrifice" or a pattern like it decides your own games, book a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): George Li reviews your games and writes a study plan around what he finds. ## Related terms - [Vacating sacrifice](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/vacating-sacrifice.md) - [Deflection](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deflection.md) - [Decoy](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/decoy.md) - [Combination](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/combination.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Vacating sacrifice in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/vacating-sacrifice.md) - [Deflection in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deflection.md) - [Decoy in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/decoy.md) - [Combination in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/combination.md) - [Chess terms: Tactics and combinations](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)