Vital Chess™
Vital Chess Tactics
Tactical combinations and instructive continuations, selected and annotated by IM Holland Mills.
Each tactical position has its own annotated replay, with variations and move-by-move commentary.
Download the 19 annotated examples (PGN)
Line Opening
Taimanov–Petrosian · Zurich 1953
Double Attack
Double Attack — Loose Piece
Double Attack — Decoy
Pin
Oskam–Euwe · The Hague 1919
Bronstein–Geller · Moscow 1961
Baginskaitė–Calotescu · Turin 2006
Deflection
World–Karpov · 1996
Botvinnik–Keres · Moscow 1966
Line Blocking
Milos–Yrjölä · Salonika 1984
Portisch–Johannessen · Havana 1966
Loose Piece
Bernstein–Capablanca · Moscow 1914
Parker–Pert · Birmingham 1999
Trapped Piece
Tal–Uhlmann · Herceg Novi 1970
Steinitz–Bird · London 1866
Decoy
The decoy forces an opposing piece to a square where it can be attacked with decisive effect.
Réti–Tartakower · Vienna 1910
Mills–Churkina · ICCF 2020
Schiffers–Chigorin · St Petersburg 1897
Mills–joe8813 · 2014
Notes
These examples are formatted with instruction in mind. In some cases the illustrative combination is continued beyond the point where the actual game ended: Myagmarsuren resigned after 31.Qxh7+, Chigorin missed the combination, and joe8813 did not take the rook.