SRAM claims that their Powerlinks are removable by hand. I think that this only works if the chain is brand new or you remove it every week for cleaning. I've never been able to do it by hand. To begin, squeeze the links together with your fingers; even if you can't remove it by hand, you might be able to get the pins to disengage manually. Insert a leftover cable end (paper clips and some wires break to easily when twisted) through the chain, around the pins of the powerlink. Use a pair of pliers to twist the cable, pulling the two pins toward one another. It worked like a charm when I did it.