Master Preparation:

A Non-Credit Continuing Education Course in Chess by

National Master Igor Epshteyn

September 11-December 11, 1996.
Wednesday evenings, 8:00pm-9:15pm.
Engineering Computer Science Building, Room 023, UMBC.

Special thanks to the Abell Foundation.



About the Instructors

National Master Igor Epshteyn is Coach of the UMBC Chess Team and an expert in the Russian method of chess training. In 1983 and 1986, Epshteyn was Head Coach for the Junior Chess Team of Belarus, and in 1980-89 he coached for the National Olympic Reserve School. Epshteyn also served as second for Boris Gelfand, Gennady Sagalchik, and Julia Levitan, and published articles on chess theory.


Senior Master William ``The Exterminator'' Morrison (USCF 2509) is the 1995 Maryland Chess Champion.

National Senior Master William Morrison is a chess legend, well known for his powerful tactical style. Aptly named ``the exterminator'' for what he does to his opponents, Senior Master Morrison is the 1995 Chess Champion for Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. A natural talent and self-taught chess player, Morrison grew up in New York City playing chess for money. In the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer, the character of the park chess player is based in part on Morrison. Morrison holds an impressive USCF rating of 2509 and has earned one of the two required norms toward the title of International Master. Currently he is finishing a history major at UMBC, where he plays on the Chess Team.


International Grandmaster Ilya Smirin is one of the world's top chess players. With an FIDE rating of 2630, he is ranked 28th in the world and one of the best players who lives in the USA. Grandmaster Smirin has won numerous prestigious international chess competitions, including the First League of the U.S.S.R. Championship (1987, 1989), the Israel Championship (1992-94), and the qualifying tournaments for the 1994 and 1995 PCA World Grand Prix. A citizen of Israel and a native of Belarus, Smirin earned a diploma from the Belorussian State Institute of Physical Culture, Minsk, certifying him as a Chess Teacher-Trainer. At UMBC, Smirin studies computer science and plays on the UMBC Chess Team.


Course Description

An advanced course on the theory and practice of chess, aimed at the serious tournament player who would like to improve his or her game. Emphasis will be on the strategic concepts of the middlegame and their relationships with pawn structure and typical endings. Material will be drawn from recent and classical grandmaster games, including games from the 1996 Karpov vs. Kamsky FIDE World Championship, to illustrate the strategic, tactical, and psychological aspects of chess. Master Preparation-Fall 96 features twelve all new lectures and a simultaneous exhibition by Senior Master and 1995 Maryland Chess Champion William ``the exterminator'' Morrison (USCF 2509). No previous experience with Master Preparation is required. The course offers something for serious tournament players at all levels.

Registration and Cost

$345 (same price in-state and out-of-state); $300 for UMBC students. To register, please fill out and return the enclosed registration form by September 6, 1996. Refunds, less a $25 processing fee, will be given only if requested in writing at least three days before the course begins. For more registration information, contact:

Continuing Education
UMBC
5401 Wilkens Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21228-5398.
Tele: (410) 455-2336, Fax: (410) 455-1074
Email: virden@UMBC.edu

For More Technical Information

For more technical information, contact the course organizer:
Alan T. Sherman, Associate Professor
Faculty Advisor, UMBC Chess Club
Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, UMBC
Tele: (410) 455-2666, Fax: (410) 455-3969, Email: sherman@cs.umbc.edu
http://www.umbc.edu/chess/

Additional Chess Events at UMBC

CMSC-791A: Graduate Seminar in Computer Chess, Fall 1995.
Simultaneous Exhibition by Grandmaster Ilya Smirin: Saturday, February 17, 1996.
UMBC Open (5 round Swiss-system tournament): Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17, 1996.
UMBC Chess Day Camp: June 24-28, 1996.
1996 Pan-American Chess Championships: December 27-30, 1996.

Grandmaster Gennady Sagalchik lost to *Socrates on March 24, 1995, at UMBC's Man versus Machine Match.