IM Dr. Danny Kopec 1954–2016

Professor of Computer Science at Brooklyn College, author, entrepreneur and International Master of chess, Dr. Danny Kopec, died at age 62 years from pancreatic cancer on June 12, 2016. A chess prodigy and Master at 17, he earned his Bachelor’s from Dartmouth College and PhD from University of Edinburgh in Machine Intelligence. A prolific author, his chess products included eight books and nine feature length instructional videos.

He was a proponent of the chess opening, The Kopec System, and co-creator of the influential Bratko-Kopec Test for measuring computer chess ability. He ran Kopec’s Chess Camp for over two decades. He co-authored textbooks in the area of artificial intelligence and over one hundred academic articles.

Danny is survived by his wife Sylvia, son David, his sister Patinka, his stepson Oliver, nephews, and fondly remembered by thousands of former students and fans. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org).

The History of the World Chess Championship

Chess flyerNow available for purchase on KopecChess.com.

This monumental video (4 hours, 23 minutes) presents the viewer with the most important people and events that have comprised the chess world championship over the course of more than 150 years. It covers 20 players who were able to lay claim to the title of Chess World Champion (including the unofficial world champions Morphy, Anderssen, and Zukertort) and their styles.

In this the 9th of Dr. Kopec’s well-received instructional chess videos, you will learn all that you need to know about these great champions. Dr. Kopec lucidly explains their backgrounds and the aspects of their chess styles and strengths that made a significant imprint on the history and development of the game of chess. It is organized into three epochs which are called:

I. The Romantic Period (from Morphy to Steinitz).

II. The Hypermodern and Dynamic Period (from Lasker to Botvinnik) and

III. The Modern Period (from Petrosian to Carlsen).

The discussion of each player is followed by one or more games that Dr. Kopec deemed the most representative of their styles, strengths, and contributions to chess. Included are 31 games or game fragments which are really a small sample when considering the thousands of games that are candidates but time constraints placed limitations and forced difficult choices.

January 2015 News and Updates

  1. We would like to happily announce a new Kindle Edition and new printing of the book Mastering Chess: a course in 25 lessons by IM Dr. Danny Kopec with contributions from Geoff Chandler, Ian Harris, Chris Morrison, and Ian Mullen (304 pp). The book is considered a classic in the general works about chess and can be helpful to players of all levels up to Master. It includes Chapters on Tactics and Combinations (Chandler), Opening Principles and Ideas (Harris, with contributions from Kopec), How to Analyze a Position (Kopec), Basic Positional Structures (Morrison, with contributions from Kopec), and Essential Endings (Mullen, with contributions from Kopec). There are exercise positions at the end of each chapter, as well as an Appendix with examples from World Championship Play.
    Mastering Chess: A Course in 25 Lessons Kindle Edition on Amazon
    Mastering Chess: A Course in 25 Lessons Softcover on KopecChess.com
  2. Dr. Kopec is near completing his long awaited video on the History of the Chess World Championship. It will cover the styles and exemplary games of every World Champion from Morphy to Carlsen and is likely to be three to four hours long. The games have been selected and the commentary on the players is complete.
  3. Boston Chess Congress by Continental Chess Association: IM Kopec will be lecturing and analyzing games at the Boston Chess Congress, January 9 – 11, at the Harbor Hyatt Hotel. Lectures will be Saturday, January 10th between 9:00 and 10:40, and Sunday January 11th, between 9:00 and 9:40. Analysis sessions will be at 3:00 pm on Saturday, and 1:30 pm on Sunday. There will be a prize for the “most interesting game” submitted. Kopec Chess Services will be the vendor at the Tournament15 plus products to sell (books, videos, CDs, etc.) as well as a variety chess sets, books from New In Chess, etc.
  4. Kopec’s Chess Camps 2015: Look for a Children’s Day Camp on Long Island, and an adults only Camp in New England in the Summer of 2015. Details in coming months.

Camp Youth Merit Scholarships

A generous anonymous donor has provided Kopec’s Chess Camp with funds to support a merit based scholarship for students under 16 years of age. Scholarship amounts range from $200-$400 (provided as credit towards camp registration) and are provided based on three criteria: chess acumen, academic success, and financial need. A limited number of scholarships will be awarded at our sole discretion. If you would like to apply, please email camp@kopecchess.com and tell us about the potential recipient including chess & academic accomplishments.

Kopec’s Chess Camp Discount Deadline Extended through May 1st

We have extended the 10% early registration discount for our summer camp at The New Hampton School in New Hampton, NH through May 1st, 2014.  Register today to take care of this excellent offer!

New Hampton July Tournament Details

July 12, New Hampshire

Kopec’s New Hampton Camp Tornado

4SS, G/60 d5. New Hampton School, New Hampton, NH; $$G 750 b/o 30 players. In
3 Sections: Open, open to all. $$ 150-100-70; Top U2000 $80.

Under 1800, open to U1800 or Unr. $$ 100-70-50 Top U1500 $60. No Unr may win over $50.

Under 1300, Open to U1300 or Unr. $$ 75-50, No Unr may win over $35. Trophies to
Top 3 and Top U1100.

ALL EF’s $35 if received by 7/5; later or at site $42.

May enter online at www.kopecchess.com/camps (Select “Tournament Entry” from the drop down at the bottom of the page.

Reg: 8:30 – 9:30 Sat 7/12.

Rds: 10:00, 1:00, 3:30, 7:00. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Barbeque) available at
School, $10 / each. Ent: Kopec Chess Services, 131 Marion Avenue, Merrick, New York,
11566. Info: IM Dr. Danny Kopec – 
drk2501@aol.com. (516) – 782 – 5285.

Camp 2014 Brochure Now Available Online

You can download the brochure for Kopec’s Chess Camp 2014 by clicking here.

Announcing Kopec’s Chess Camp 2014

Kopec’s Chess Camp will be running for it’s 17th year July 6th to 12th at the New Hampton School in New Hampton, New Hampshire. Kopec’s Chess Camps, established in 1994 have a long history of providing superb facilities coupled with top level chess instruction. That is why our motto is “First Rate Instruction in a First Rate Instruction”

This year’s location is no exception. Just 10 miles from the town of Meredith, the gateway to Lake Winnepesaukee. There will be separate Camps for Adults and Children. Short Day (to 3:30) Camps and Full Day Commuter Camps are also available. The Standard Camps will provide overnight lodging with instructional programs generally running from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. There will be opportunities
for serious competition as well as breaks for meals, recreation, sports and relaxation. There will also be an Open Tournament on Saturday, July 12th — a Four Round Game/60 event.

For more information, checkout our camp website, where you can register online.

World Championship Bundle

worldchampionshipbundleWe have a new bundle to celebrate the recent chess world championship.  All of the titles in this bundle feature players and games from the world chess championship.  The three included books are:

– San Luis 2005

– Champions of the New Millenium

– Chess World Title Contenders

The included DVD is:

– Middlegame Pawn Play for Mate: A Chess Player’s Toolbox

In total it’s an $84 value, yours today for only $59.95.

Check it out!

 

Mastering Chess 2nd Edition Now Available

MasteringChessCoverOnly
The first edition was popular for some 20 years (from 1985 – 2005) while in print with four different publishers (including Pergamon/Oxford, Cadogan and Everyman/London, Dover / Mineola, NY). It has been rated one of the five best chess books of its kind. Each Chapter of this new edition has new material added and the book has essentially doubled in size. Each Chapter includes new Exercise positions with solutions.  Get it today on our website or on Amazon: Mastering Chess: a course in 25 lessons

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Product Specials

Champions of the New Millennium

Price: $22.95