Members of the UMBC Chess Team surround Faculty Advisor Alan Sherman, shortly before the match with MIT. Sitting (left to right): Smirin, Sherman, Morrison. Standing (left to right): Shinn, Weerakoon, Belegradek, Longo. Photo by Martha Stewart.

UMBC Checkmates MIT

Alan T. Sherman
Faculty Advisor, UMBC Chess Club
November 14, 1995

On Saturday, November 11, The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) overwhelmingly defeated the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in a six-board intercollegiate chess match. Spectators throughout the world watched the action live, as moves were broadcast over the internet on the Internet Chess Club (ICC).

The four-hour showdown began at high noon at the MIT Student Center in Cambridge, MA. Given that both schools care more about academic achievement than about football or basketball, chess--the ultimate intellectual sport--is a matter of significant pride. Both universities share a special interest in science and technology.

The match coincided with UMBC's ``Mind Fest''--a celebration of the opening of the new library tower at UMBC. Visitors in UMBC's Albin O. Kuhn Library watched a graphical display of selected games in progress, as I entered the moves from a workstation at MIT. Throughout the match, internet spectators kibitzed on the positions by typing messages over the ICC.

MIT confidently fielded a strong team led by National Masters Geoffrey Gelman (2281), Christopher Vonkrogh (2268), and Matt Hastings (2213), supported by chess experts Kimani Stancil (2121) and Eric Allen (2010), and Dennis Ruhl (1630).

Nevertheless, UMBC outgunned MIT on most boards with International Grandmaster Ilya Smirin (2730 est.); Senior Master William Morrison (2535); chess experts Ishan Weerakoon (2142), Derrick Longo (2087), and Bella Belegradek (2068); and Alexander Shinn (1956). In preparation for battle, the UMBC players practice every Saturday morning with UMBC Chess Coach Igor Ephsteyn of Belarus, an expert in the Russian system of chess training.

The first MIT king fell on Board 6, as Shinn crushed Ruhl with a kingside pawn storm. UMBC lost its only game on Board 3 when Hastings trapped Weerakoon's queen, after Weerakoon miscalculated the consequences of greedily capturing a sacrificed pawn. On Board 2, 1995 Maryland Chess Champion William Morrison (aptly known as ``the exterminator'') won a knight with a strong central initiative against passive defense. Meanwhile, on Board 5, Belegradek carefully nurtured a one-pawn advantage into an endgame victory.

On Board 1, Grandmaster Smirin--ranked 28th in the world--slowly and decisively strangled Gelman by restricting the scope of Gelman's pieces and penetrating with rooks along Smirin's open b-file. Midway into the game, using a cooking metaphor, an internet spectator described MIT's position as ``well done.'' See game.

The competition on Board 3 was particularly exciting because Kimani Stancil graduated from UMBC before beginning his Ph.D. studies in theoretical physics at MIT. Knowing that Stancil loves to attack, Longo held Stancil at bay by using the initiative of the white pieces to attack first. Flustered and losing concentration after Longo refused Stancil's draw offer, Stancil blundered in a position that was roughly equal but difficult to defend.

The final score: UMBC-5, MIT-1. In late December, the UMBC Team will travel to New York to compete in the Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championship.

Support for UMBC's participation in the match was provided by the President's Office at UMBC.


Game from Board 1 of UMBC vs. MIT Match

Sicilian Defense
Time Control: 25 moves/1 hr.; SD/1 hr.

White: MIT-Geoffrey Gelman (USCF 2281)
Black: UMBC-Ilya Smirin (FIDE 2630)

1. e4 c5
2. f4 Nc6
3. Nf3 e6
4. Qe2 Nf6
5. g3 d5
6. e5 Nd7
7. Bg2 Be7
8. O-O O-O
9. d3 b5
10. a4 b4
11. c4 bxc3
12. bxc3 Ba6
13. Na3 Na5
14. Nc2 Nb3
15. Ra2 Rb8
16. Nd2 Nxc1
17. Rxc1 Qa5
18. Ne3 Rb6
19. c4 d4
20. Ng4 Rfb8
21. Rcc2 Rb4
22. Bc6 Qc7
23. Qg2 h5
24. Nf2 Rb1+
25. Nf1 R8b6
26. Bf3 g6
27. Ne4 Rb8
28. a5 Kg7
29. h3 Rh8
30. h4 Rhb8
31. Kh2 Re1
32. Re2 Rxe2
33. Qxe2 Rb4
34. Qc2 Nb8
35. Nfd2 Bc8
36. Ng5 Na6
37. Nde4 Bb7
38. Qe2 Bxe4
39. Qxe4 Bxg5
40. hxg5 Rb3
41. g4 hxg4
42. Bxg4 Nb4
43. Rd2 Qxa5
44. Bxe6 Na6
45. Rg2 fxe6
46. Kg3 Qc3
White resigns 0-1