Clearance chess puzzles
20 clearance puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a clearance in chess?
A clearance sacrifice moves your own piece out of the way, with tempo, so another of your pieces can use the square or line it was blocking.
How to spot a clearance
If a square or line would be decisive but your own piece is in the way, look for a forcing move with that piece, a check or a capture, that clears it.
Learn it first: Clearance and interference
Clearance chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 12... Nb4.
Puzzle rating 889
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, clearance, kingside attack
Show solution
13. Nxf6+ gxf6 14. Qh7#
FEN: r2q1rk1/1ppb1pp1/p2bpn1p/8/1n1PN3/3QPN2/PPB2PPP/R1B1K2R w KQ - 4 13
Puzzle 2: White to move and mate in 2
Puzzle 3: Black to move and mate in 2
Puzzle 4: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 15. dxe5.
Puzzle rating 1208
Hint
Theme: clearance, kingside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
15... Qxe4 16. Rxe4 Rd1+
FEN: 3rk2r/2p1bppp/p1n5/1p1qP3/4Q3/2P4P/PP3PP1/RNB1R1K1 b k - 0 15
Puzzle 5: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 34. Rf7.
Puzzle rating 1258
Hint
Theme: pin, clearance, middlegame tactic
Show solution
34... Rxf7+ 35. Qxf7 Rf8 36. Qxf8 Bxf8
FEN: 5r1r/Q4Rb1/2kp4/4p1B1/4P3/P1P5/5KPq/5R2 b - - 3 34
Puzzle 6: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 42. h6.
Puzzle rating 1440
Hint
Theme: clearance, advanced pawn, rook endgame
Show solution
42... a2 43. Ra7 Ra3 44. Rxa3 Kxa3
FEN: 8/2R5/7P/8/3K4/pr4P1/1k3P2/8 b - - 0 42
Puzzle 7: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 24. Qxa6.
Puzzle rating 1557
Hint
Theme: clearance, middlegame tactic
Show solution
24... Ra8 25. Qb5 Reb8 26. Qxb8+ Rxb8
FEN: 2r1r1k1/2p2pp1/Q6p/P1pq4/2Np4/5N2/2P2PPP/R5K1 b - - 0 24
Puzzle 8: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 28. Rc5.
Puzzle rating 1607
Hint
Theme: clearance, sacrifice, kingside attack
Show solution
28... Qxc5 29. dxc5 Rd1+ 30. Qe1 Rxe1+
FEN: 3rr1k1/p4pp1/2p2b1p/1pRqN3/3PR3/1P2Q3/P4PPP/6K1 b - - 4 28
Puzzle 9: White to move and mate in 2
Puzzle 10: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 14. Nxe4.
Puzzle rating 1753
Hint
Theme: clearance, middlegame tactic
Show solution
14... Nxe4 15. Bxe4 Qh4+
FEN: r1bqr1k1/5ppp/p3pn2/1pb1B3/4NP2/2PB3P/PP4P1/R2QK2R b KQ - 0 14
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 10. Bh6.
Puzzle rating 1842
Hint
Theme: clearance, sacrifice, exposed king
Show solution
10... Nxe4 11. fxe4 Qh4+ 12. g3 Qxh6
FEN: r1bq1rk1/ppp2pbp/2np1npB/4p3/2BPP3/2P2P2/PP1QN1PP/RN2K2R b KQ - 1 10
Puzzle 12: White to move and mate in 2
Puzzle 13: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 18. Bxf8.
Puzzle rating 2050
Hint
Theme: pin, clearance, middlegame tactic
Show solution
18... Be3+ 19. Rd2 Qd4
FEN: rnb2Bk1/5ppp/pq6/3P4/3b4/Q4P2/P1P3PP/2KR1B1R b - - 0 18
Puzzle 14: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 47. Bxg5.
Puzzle rating 2159
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, epaulette mate, pin
Show solution
47... Qe1+ 48. Qg3 Re4+ 49. Bf4 Rxf4#
FEN: 4r3/p4k2/5p2/6BR/2P1q1QK/1P5P/P7/8 b - - 0 47
Puzzle 15: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 52. Ke4.
Puzzle rating 2192
Hint
Theme: skewer, clearance, quiet move
Show solution
52... Nxb5 53. Bxb5 Rd1 54. e7 Re1+ 55. Kd4 Rxe7
FEN: 3r3k/7p/4P1p1/1R6/1pBnK3/1P4P1/P7/8 b - - 4 52
Puzzle 16: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 29... e6.
Puzzle rating 2343
Hint
Theme: clearance, endgame tactic
Show solution
30. Nf6+ Kg7 31. Qd7
FEN: 1r3bk1/2R2p1p/q3p1p1/3Np3/1p2P3/1P3P1P/P2Q2P1/6K1 w - - 0 30
Puzzle 17: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 28. gxh4.
Puzzle rating 2380
Hint
Theme: clearance, endgame tactic
Show solution
28... Qf2+ 29. Kh1 Rg7 30. Rg1 Rf3
FEN: 1k3r2/1pp2r2/p4q2/2R1p3/P1Q1P2P/7P/2P3P1/3R2K1 b - - 0 28
Puzzle 18: Black to move and mate in 2
Puzzle 19: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 29... Rxe2.
Puzzle rating 2523
Hint
Theme: attraction (decoy), clearance, sacrifice
Show solution
30. Bxg7 Kxg7 31. Rh7+ Kg8 32. Qh6 f5 33. Rxe7
FEN: 5rk1/1p2qpp1/pb4nB/4n2R/1P1pN3/P2P3Q/4r1PP/5RK1 w - - 0 30
Puzzle 20: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 51. c5.
Puzzle rating 2645
Hint
Theme: clearance, quiet move, promotion
Show solution
51... exf2+ 52. Kd2 Kg3 53. Rf6 Bf3 54. b6 f1=Q
FEN: 8/8/1R6/1PP5/6b1/4pk2/5P2/4K3 b - - 0 51