“I’ve known Yuriy since he came to Webster University in the Fall of 2019 to pursue his graduate studies in Finance and be a member of SPICE, the best collegiate chess program in the US. Since I got to know him, I have come to recognize his incredible passion for chess, and that he is extremely knowledgeable in various openings. He was able to suggest some interesting ideas not only to his private students, but also to other members of our program, including Grandmasters. Yuriy’s experience with teaching is vast and rich, and the book in question has been devoted to one of the topics he is arguably most knowledgeable about: 1.e4 e5. This is the move he has played himself for years and it has yielded him great results. At the same time, this is something he has analysed extensively, both for himself, and with other members of our program. In this book, Yuriy does not overwhelm you with variations, but instead he focuses a lot on the verbal explanations and understanding of the typical positions. At the same time, you can be confident that his recommendations are quite sound, and have been thoroughly checked with extensive databases, strong engines, as well as critically looked upon from the human perspective. I am entirely sure that studying the materials presented in this work will benefit players of all levels, from some relatively inexperienced club players to even strong players.” ~ Susan Polgar, Former Women’s World Champion 09.2020
I am a 21-year-old Fide Master from Ukraine with two IM norms and a peak rating of 2382 currently residing in Saint Louis, USA. During my youth chess career, I won more than ten medals in Ukrainian Youth Championships, having become Ukrainian champion – both individually, in rapid U-20 in 2018 and as a team member during the Ukrainian Team Championship in 2016. I represented the Ukrainian National Team at the U-18 European Team Championship in 2016 where Ukraine earned a bronze medal; I also won an individual board bronze medal. I have participated in European and World Junior Championships, representing Ukraine. Presently, my focus is teaching, and I have already acquired great experience working to improve my student’s chess skills. I currently share my knowledge and understanding of the game by writing books, articles for the Yearbook and other sources while creating opening and video courses. I have a bachelor’s degree in Translation, and I am currently pursuing my master’s in Finance at Webster University where I am attending on a chess scholarship. Webster is also acknowledged for having the one of best collegiate chess teams in the United States.
