Clearance: Open the Diagonal for Mate!
Hello chess kids! Today we will learn how to get what we want in chess. :) Okay, so you don't always get whatever you want...but you can start to recognize positions that lead to good stuff! The tactic is called "clearance" and is important because it helps you look at the whole board. By, Mrs Jessica E Prescott (aka BoundingOwl).
Let's look at a position with Mikhail Tal as white. He was a World Champion who was known for sacking pieces left and right! In this game, he gets rid of both rooks to allow his queen to dive in!!
I'll start us off:
Remember to ask, "What's the threat?" when someone makes a move, especially a big sacrifice. Let's give white another move. Do you see the threat? (Hint: the pawn on g6 is pinned!)
Actually, even if black captures the rook, white still has a checkmate. Just look for queen checks! It's all forcing. Click on the move list to see all of black's possibilities.
Your turn! Which diagonal would you like to open?
In this position, black is World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik. He notices the king on h1 looking rather lonely. So he sacs his rook to put the king out of his misery! Can you make a check that would force white to open his castle even more? What other piece stands in the way of the queen getting to make a diagonal check? Push it!
Nice work, you guys! Slashing open those diags like a pawn swordsman!
