APPROXIMATE SYLLABUS FOR MATH 177 (CHESS)

week 1: Rules of the game of chess; sample exercise game
week 2: Two chess notation schemes, descriptive and algebraic (see Handout)
week 3: first opening
week 4: second opening
week 5: third opening
week 6: fourth opening
week 7: fifth opening
week 8: sixth opening
week 9: endgames without pawns
week 10: endgames without pieces
week 11: the concepts of freedom and space in the middle game
week 12: pawn structure in the middle game
week 12: history of chess: (probably late November) by guest lecturer Prof Drucker (also in the Math Department). After this lecture, Prof. Drucker will play everyone in the class, possibly assisted by Prof. McFarland, depending upon the size of the class. This meeting may end well after 8 PM, but if you have other obligations, you may leave earlier. Depending on the personal needs of Prof. Drucker , this week's activity may be interchanged with some other weeks'.
week 13: Monday 1 May 2017: last day of class before finals: hour exam covering above topics