This page is an extension of 56 Tactical Patterns That All Chess Players Should Know.
Clearance is when you vacate (clear) a square, file, rank, or diagonal so that another piece can use it. A clearance move can open the way for a stronger follow-up.
Here are three examples of Clearance.
Example #1
1… Qxd1+ 2. Rxd1 Nc2+
Example #2
1… Nd3+ 2. Qxd3 Qxb2#
Example #3
1. Rh5+ gxh5 2. Qg5#
To study tactical patterns more deeply, 300 Essential Tactical and Checkmate Patterns gives you carefully selected examples organized by theme.