These are my notes of a course of chess lectures, Spring 1998-1999, at UMBC, by Lifemaster Igor Epshteyn. Except for guest lectures by William Morrison (who analyzed some of the Fischer-Spassky match) and Ron Henley (see below), these lectures all deal with the endgame, many with a sort of mathematical flavor. They are really high-quality lectures, in my opinion, and if you like chess endgames you will like these posts.

• Lesson 1 by Igor Epshteyn.
  Theme: Introduction to pawn endgames: pawn mobility, opposition, triangulation.
• Lesson 2 by Igor Epshteyn.
  Theme: The principle of two weaknesses and the triangulation manuever.
• Lesson 3 by Igor Epshteyn.
  Theme: Coordinating squares, static case. The principle of two weaknesses (revisited).
• Lesson 4 by Igor Epshteyn.
  Theme: Pawn on the 7^th (2^nd) rank against queen.
• Lesson 5 by Igor Epshteyn.
  Theme: Geometry of the chessboard – static case. Detours, routes, and repulsion of the kings.
• Lesson 6 by Igor Epshteyn.
  Theme: Geometry of the chessboard – dynamic case
  case. Passed pawns.
• Lesson 7 by Igor Epshteyn.
  Theme: Combining plans in the endgame. The knight’s route revisited and variations on Reti’s etude.
• Lesson 8 by Igor Epshteyn.
  Theme: Decoying the rival king to a bad square.

Other lessons (to be posted later):

• Lesson 1 by Ron Henley.
  Theme: Introduction to pawn endgames, part 1.
• Lesson 2 by Ron Henley.
  Theme: Introduction to pawn endgames, part 2.