Clearance sacrifice puzzles
Move a piece off a square or line, often with a threat, so another of your pieces can use it.
When your best square is occupied by your own piece, look for a forcing way to move that piece away with gain of time.
8 real puzzles from games on Lichess, easiest first, rated 636 to 2690. The course has 375 clearance puzzles in all.
Puzzle 1 · rated 636
Black just played Qd4. White to move.
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26. Nxf7+ Rxf7 27. Rg8#
Puzzle 2 · rated 1119
Black just played Nf5. White to move.
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18. Nf6+ Bxf6 19. Qh7#
Puzzle 3 · rated 1444
Black just played Be6. White to move.
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16. Rxe6+ Qxe6 17. Re1
Puzzle 4 · rated 1709
Black just played Rf8. White to move.
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23. Qxf7+ Rxf7 24. Re8+ Rf8 25. Rfxf8#
Puzzle 5 · rated 1956
Black just played gxh5. White to move.
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24. Nf6+ Kh8 25. Rg5 Qxf6 26. Rxh5+ Qh6 27. Rxh6#
Puzzle 6 · rated 2161
White just played Kf1. Black to move.
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11... Ng3+ 12. fxg3 Qe1#
Puzzle 7 · rated 2390
Black just played Nxe5. White to move.
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15. d6+ Nxc4 16. Qd5+ Rf7 17. dxe7 Qxe7 18. Qxc4
Puzzle 8 · rated 2690
White just played Qe4. Black to move.
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27... Bxc5 28. Rf1 Qg8
Free, no sign-up. Puzzles come in order of difficulty and the ladder adjusts to how you solve.
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Puzzles from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Every line was replayed move by move by the course's rules engine. Part of Chess Path, a free chess course. Free coach for your Chess.com and Lichess games.