Quick answer
Clearance Move is a tactical idea: two aligned attackers on the king file. Work from the first evidence position for Clearance Move, and begin by testing Rxe7+.
Begin from Rxe7+ in 8/4pk2/4R3/8/8/8/8/2Q3K1 w - - 2 2. Start with the forcing geometry: checks, captures, threats, defenders and flight squares around the target. The evidence answer is: Clearance Move: preserve the alignment and calculate the defensive interposition before trading the front piece. Candidate line: Rxe7+.
In the Clearance Move example, notice: side White; pieces Black pawn e7, Black king f7, White rook e6, White queen c1, White king g1; legal first moves Rxe7+, Rf6+, Rg6, Rh6, Re5, Re4, Re3, Re2. Anchor your reading to the FEN above; the inventory is illustrative, not a portable law of chess.
The tactical trigger
The first evidence board tests two aligned attackers on the king file; the second board tests two aligned attackers on the king file. Where the evidence stores a move string, A is built with direct FEN setup and B with direct FEN setup. Definitions for adjacent ideas are on the Chess Wiki and the Tactics hub. Then compare Candidate Moves with Clearance Sacrifice, Interference, Line Opening around the mating net's boundary.
The two inventories make the distinction concrete. A contains side White; pieces Black pawn e7, Black king f7, White rook e6, White queen c1, White king g1; legal first moves Rxe7+, Rf6+, Rg6, Rh6, Re5, Re4, Re3, Re2; B contains side White; pieces Black king f8, Black pawn e7, White rook e6, White king g2, White queen e1; legal first moves Rxe7, Rf6+, Rg6, Rh6, Re5, Re4, Re3, Re2. Compare the side to move before comparing the labels in the context of the exchange that removes a guard.
Topic dossier for this page and board pair r1:8 | r2:4pk2 | r3:4R3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:2Q3K1 / r1:5k2 | r2:4p3 | r3:4R3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:6K1 | r8:4Q3: start with the mating net's boundary; then test the exchange that removes a guard; keep a counter-check that changes the calculation separate from a deflection from the critical square; use the final simplification as the transfer check; and reserve the last safe flight square for the exception.
Calculation order
On the first board, calculate Rxe7+ after Rxe7+ and write down the opponent's best reply around the mating net's boundary. On the second board, calculate Rxe7 after Rxe7 and check the exchange that removes a guard. Calculate the most forcing move first, then test the opponent's best capture, interposition or counter-check before naming the motif. In this case the useful condition is the last safe flight square.
Key claim: Clearance Move is illustrated here by two aligned attackers on the king file; the first concrete test is Rxe7+. The board anchor is 8/4pk2/4R3/8/8/8/8/2Q3K1; the example is intentionally narrower than the topic label and should not be generalised without checking the surrounding position..
Practical boundary: To answer “How can a player recognize clearance move, calculate the winning idea, and test the defender's best resource?”, compare the recorded setup with Rxe7 and the opponent's reply. The decision is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test on board 5k2/4p3/4R3/8/8/8/6K1/4Q3. The evidence records Illustrative evidence for the stated mechanism; it is not a claim that the candidate move is forced or best in every position and the second board signature r1:5k2 | r2:4p3 | r3:4R3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:6K1 | r8:4Q3. The false-positive test is whether a counter-check that changes the calculation appears without a deflection from the critical square, so the conclusion is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test.
Evidence positions
example-1: two aligned attackers on the king file
Show answer
Clearance Move: preserve the alignment and calculate the defensive interposition before trading the front piece. Candidate line: Rxe7+.
Why this position is here: Clearance Move is represented by two aligned attackers on the king file. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/4pk2/4R3/8/8/8/8/2Q3K1; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 8/4pk2/4R3/8/8/8/8/2Q3K1 w - - 2 2
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this clearance move position?
Answer cue: Clearance Move: preserve the alignment and calculate the defensive interposition before trading the front piece. Candidate line: Rxe7+. The first candidate to test is Rxe7+. Replay Rxe7+ on board anchor 8/4pk2/4R3/8/8/8/8/2Q3K1 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: Illustrative evidence for the stated mechanism; it is not a claim that the candidate move is forced or best in every position.
example-2: two aligned attackers on the king file
Show answer
Clearance Move: preserve the alignment and calculate the defensive interposition before trading the front piece. Candidate line: Rxe7.
Why this position is here: Clearance Move is represented by two aligned attackers on the king file. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 5k2/4p3/4R3/8/8/8/6K1/4Q3; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 5k2/4p3/4R3/8/8/8/6K1/4Q3 w - - 2 2
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this clearance move position?
Answer cue: Clearance Move: preserve the alignment and calculate the defensive interposition before trading the front piece. Candidate line: Rxe7. The first candidate to test is Rxe7. Replay Rxe7 on board anchor 5k2/4p3/4R3/8/8/8/6K1/4Q3 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: Illustrative evidence for the stated mechanism; it is not a claim that the candidate move is forced or best in every position.
example-3: two aligned attackers on the king file
Show answer
Clearance Move: preserve the alignment and calculate the defensive interposition before trading the front piece. Candidate line: Rxe7.
Why this position is here: Clearance Move is represented by two aligned attackers on the king file. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 3k4/4p3/4R3/8/8/8/8/4Q2K; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 3k4/4p3/4R3/8/8/8/8/4Q2K w - - 2 2
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this clearance move position?
Answer cue: Clearance Move: preserve the alignment and calculate the defensive interposition before trading the front piece. Candidate line: Rxe7. The first candidate to test is Rxe7. Replay Rxe7 on board anchor 3k4/4p3/4R3/8/8/8/8/4Q2K and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: Illustrative evidence for the stated mechanism; it is not a claim that the candidate move is forced or best in every position.
Reading the line
Read the first example (id example-1) as a complete record: continuation Rxe7+, source fide-laws. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/4pk2/4R3/8/8/8/8/2Q3K1; no opening history is inferred from the diagram. If A does not expose two aligned attackers on the king file, correct the evidence before relying on the prose.
Read the second example (id example-2) separately: continuation Rxe7, source fide-laws. Its feature is two aligned attackers on the king file; inventory side White; pieces Black king f8, Black pawn e7, White rook e6, White king g2, White queen e1; legal first moves Rxe7, Rf6+, Rg6, Rh6, Re5, Re4, Re3, Re2. Compare what changes between Rxe7+ and Rxe7.
The defensive resource
The main mistake to avoid with Clearance Move is spotting a familiar motif but failing to test the defender's strongest legal resource. In A, the missing condition must be located in r1:8 | r2:4pk2 | r3:4R3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:2Q3K1 after Rxe7+; in B, test it against r1:5k2 | r2:4p3 | r3:4R3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:6K1 | r8:4Q3 after Rxe7.
For Clearance Move, the first board's evidence boundary (after Rxe7+) is Illustrative evidence for the stated mechanism; it is not a claim that the candidate move is forced or best in every position. The second board's evidence boundary for Clearance Move is Illustrative evidence for the stated mechanism; it is not a claim that the candidate move is forced or best in every position. If a trusted source or careful calculation changes the conclusion around the final simplification, update both the evidence record and this article.
Practice from a real game
cover the answer, list checks and captures, and record the defender or escape square that decides whether the idea works. Start with A's side to move and r1:8 | r2:4pk2 | r3:4R3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:2Q3K1; record two candidates, the reply to Rxe7+ and the correction. Repeat with B's side to move and r1:5k2 | r2:4p3 | r3:4R3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:6K1 | r8:4Q3; the changed board tests transfer rather than diagram memory.
After the drill, compare your notes with Clearance Sacrifice, Interference, Line Opening through a deflection from the critical square. Keep A's rejected alternative beside B's chosen line Rxe7; this shows whether the conclusion survived a new board signature.
Sources and scope
Sources for Clearance Move: 1chess.online editorial scope, FIDE Laws of Chess. Source ids are original-analysis, fide-laws. Primary evidence hook: fide-laws. Comparisons and practice notes are editorial. Evidence revision: 2026-08-remediation-r2.
Scope note for board pair r1:8 | r2:4pk2 | r3:4R3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:2Q3K1 / r1:5k2 | r2:4p3 | r3:4R3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:6K1 | r8:4Q3: this page does not claim that Rxe7+ is an engine principal variation, that an exact endgame result is verified when the evidence says it is not, or that a tool output replaces human calculation. The conclusion is limited to the recorded boundary and the exception a counter-check that changes the calculation.