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: (23 April 2013 featuring guest lecturer Peter Webster , who is a former Wisconsin State Chess Champion! Peter. Peter Webster will also simultaneously play everyone in the class. This meeting may end after 9 PM, but if you have other obligations, you may leave earlier. Depending on the personal needs of Peter Webster, this week's activity may be interchanged with some other weeks'.
week 13: Monday 30 April 2012: last day of class before finals: hour exam covering above topics