 Eric Schiller 1955-2018 |
Eric Andrew Shiller was born on March 20, 1955 in New York City. His mother was Marlene R. Schiller. He had 5 sisters and brothers (Wendy, Mary, Elizabeth Friedman, Peter, and John). His great-uncle was Pierre Monteux (1875-1964), a former music conductor of the San Francisco and Boston Symphonies, as well as the London Symphony Orchestra. He also founded a music school in Hancock, Maine. In 1959, at the age of 4, he learned chess from his father. He attended Paul D. Schreiber High School. In 1972, he beat GM Samuel Reshevsky during one of Reshevsky's simultaneous exhibitions. In 1972, he attended the University of Chicago. In 1974, he was Illinois Junior Chess Champion. He played for the University of Chicago team several times at the Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship. In 1976, he graduated from the University of Chicago with a BA degree in Russian. In 1977, he worked as a translator for Hoffman-La Roche pharmaceutical company. He taught at the University of Chicago and at Wayne State University in Ohio. He founded a music group called the "Long Island Sound Ensemble." They specialized in Baroque and contemporary music. He studied music conducting in Vienna, Salsburg, and Hancock, Maine. He was a frequent attendant at New York Philharmonic rehearsals. In 1980, he was awarded the International Arbiter title. In 1982, he smuggled out of the Soviet Union a letter from Boris Gulko. He delivered the letter to Soviet defector, Grandmaster Lev Alburt, and the latter was published. In 1983, he organized the World Youth Team Championship at the University of Chicago. In 1984, he earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago. His MA thesis was entitled, "Syntactic Polysemy and the Lexicon in Khmer." In 1985, both Schiller and I were visited by the FBI because we subscribed to Russian newsletters and Russian magazines such as 64 and Shakhmaty Bulletin. Schiller said that all his packages and envelopes were opened twice, once by the Soviets and once by the Americans (FBI and CIA). He had a few postal games going against some Russian players. The FBI asked both of us for a listing of ranked Soviet players or contacts we had with Soviet chess players. I was discrete, but Schiller wrote to FIDE and asked them to mail a list of all ranked chess players to the FBI. In 1986, he was the press chief for the World Chess Championship between Kasparov and Karpov when the first half was staged in London. He was barred from entering the USSR for the second half of the match. His visa was denied. In 1986, he was on the winning college team at the Pan American Intercollegiate Championship while playing for the University of Chicago. In 1986, he attained his highest FIDE Elo rating of 2370. In 1988, he tied fors 1st place with GM Dmitry Gurevich in the Illinois Class Championships. In 1988/89, he won the Hawaii action and blitz championship. In 1990, he wrote a review of chess programs that appeared in the September issue of Chess Life magazine. In 1990, we were both press officers at the World Chess Championship between Kasparov and Karpov at the Hotel Macklowe in New York. Schiller called himself the "Overlord of the Press Center," as he was fluent in Russian and German and acted as liaison between the players and the journalists from other countries. In 1991, he earned a PhD in linguistics from the University of Chicago. His dissertation was entitled, "An autolexical account of subordinating serial verb phrase constructions." In 1991, he co-founded the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society. In 1993, he was press chief of the world chess championship. In 1993, he was a developer of the chess playing computer program called Kasparov's Gambit. It was developed by Heuristic Software and published by Electronic Arts. The chess engine used was Socrates II. From 1994 through 1998, he was an organizer of the Hawaii International chess festivals. In 1994, he moved to California and worked for a software company. In 1995, he was co-author of Autolexical Theory: Ideas and Methods. It was a new approach on how to model grammar using the theory of parallel grammatical representations. In 1995, he was a chess advisor for the music group Phish. In 1997, he was writing endgame articles for the California Chess Journal. In the 2000s, he was living in Moss Beach, California. In 2000, he was awarded the International Organizer title. In 2000, he was the arbiter in the 2000 match between Kasparov and Kramnik. In 2001, Schiller's chess books were banned from the Oregon Department of Corrections because the books "Contains Code Throughout." They specifically banned his Standard Chess Openings book, thinking that the algebraic notation was some sort of code. They cited that the book "Contains material that threatens or is detrimental to the security, safety, health, good order, or discipline of the facility, inmate rehabilitation or facilitates criminal activity." In 2005, he was the arbiter at the Howard Staunton Memorial. In 2005, he taught chess at the nonprofit Success Chess School (SCS) in Fremont, California. In 2006, he was editor of the California Chess Journal and was instrumental in getting the magazine online in pdf format. In 2006, he was an arbiter at the 2006 Gibtelecom International Chess Festival in Gibraltar. In 2006, he suffered a stroke. In 2007, he was the arbiter at the Howard Staunton Memorial. In 2007, he served on the national steering committee of America for Gore. In 2008, he was the arbiter of the 6th Staunton Memorial. In 2009, he won the inaugural Daily Kos Chess Tournament. On May 16, 2010, he had his right foot amputated at San Mateo Medical Center due to complications from diabetes. He also had his right arm amputated. In 2013, he was the chess coach of the Fremont Summer Chess Camp in Fremont, California. In September 2016, he played in his final USCF-rated tournament, the 2016 CalChess State Championship, losing two games before withdrawing. He suffered a massive heart attack and died on November 3, 2018 at the age of 63. He lived in Palo Alto, California at the time. He authored or co-authored over 140 chess books (some sources say over 180 books). Schiller authored the following chess books: -100 Awesome Chess Moves, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2001. ISBN 1-58042-021-4. -639 Essential Endgames, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1999. ISBN 1-58042-016-8. -7 Steps to Better Chess, 2010 -The Aggressive Nimzowitsch Sicilian, Eric Schiller, Chess Digest, 1994. ISBN 0-87568-245-6. -The Alekhine for the Tournament Player, Lev Alburt & Eric Schiller, Batsford, 1985. ISBN 0-7134-1596-7. -The Alekhine for the Tournament Player (2nd ed.), Lev Alburt & Eric Schiller, Batsford, 1991. ISBN 0-7134-6951-X. -Attacking the Castled King, Eric Schiller, The Chess Player, 1986. OCLC 14686051 ASIN B0007B7UDW, ISBN 4871874451. -Batsford Chess Openings 2, Garry Kasparov and Raymond D. Keene, Henry Holt, 1989. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9. -The Big Book of Busts, John L. Watson & Eric Schiller, Hypermodern Press, 1995. ISBN 1-886040-13-3. -The Big Book of Chess, Eric Schiller, Cardoza Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-58042-133-4. -The Big Book of Combinations, Eric Schiller, Hypermodern Press, 1995. ISBN 1-886040-14-1. -Black to Play Classical Defenses and Win, Eric Schiller, Chess Digest, 1993. ISBN 0-87568-219-7. -Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1985. ISBN 0-931462-52-5, ISBN 4871874338. -Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Bogoljubow Variation, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1995. ISBN 0-945470-46-0, ISBN 4871874877. -Cambridge Springs Defense, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1984. ISBN 0-931462-61-4. -Cambridge Springs Defense: Expanded and Updated Edition, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1994. ISBN 0-931462-32-0. -Caro Kann: 4...Nd7, Leonid Shamkovich & Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1987. ISBN 0-931462-26-6. -Caro Kann — A Defense Against King Pawn Openings, 2003 -Caro Kann: The Classical Caro-Kann Rejuvenated, 1994 -Catalan, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1983. ISBN 0-931462-26-6. -Catalan (Revised Edition), Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1988. ISBN 0-931462-75-4. -Caxton Named Opening List, 2004 -Checkmate in One Move, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2005. ISBN 1-58042-171-7. -The Chessplayer's Laboratory Volume 1, Eric Schiller, Hays, 1992. ISBN 0-486-20290-9. -The Classical Caro-Kann Rejuvenated, Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1994. ISBN 0-945470-34-7. -Complete Defense to King Pawn Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2003. ISBN 1-58042-109-1. -Complete Defense to Queen Pawn Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1998. ISBN 0-940685-80-9. -Development of a Chess Master, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2000. ISBN 1-58042-050-8. -Encyclopedia of Chess Wisdom, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1998. ISBN 0-940685-93-0. -Encyclopedia of Chess Wisdom, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2000 -Encyclopedia of Chess Wisdom, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2003. ISBN 1-58042-088-5. -Fianchetto Against the West Indians, Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1988. ISBN 0-931462-79-7. -First Chess Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2005. ISBN 1-58042-152-0. -First Chess Tactics, Eric Schiller, Ishi Press, 2012, ISBN 4871874818. -Fly the Pterodactyl, 2012 -Frankenstein-Dracula Variation, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1999. ISBN 0-945470-75-4, ISBN 487187446X. -French Winawer Poisoned Pawn, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1988. ISBN 0-931462-74-6. -From Gambit, 1992 -Gambit Chess Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2002. ISBN 1-58042-057-5. -Gambit Opening Repertoire for Black, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1998. ISBN 0-940685-79-5. -Gambit Opening Repertoire for White, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1998. ISBN 0-940685-78-7. -Gruenfeld Defense: Russian Variations, Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1985. ISBN 0-931462-44-4. -Gruenfeld Defense: Russian Variations (Revised Edition), Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1988, ISBN 4871874850. -Guide to Chess, Schiller & Burger -Handbook of Tricky Opening Strategies, John Watson & Eric Schiller, Hardinge-Simpole, 2004. ISBN 1-84382-149-4. -How to Defend Against the Fried Liver Attack, 2005 -How to Play Black against the Staunton Gambit, Eric Schiller & Billy Colias, Chess Digest, 1993. ISBN 0-87568-236-7. -How to Play the Albin Countergambit, Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1991. ISBN 90-454-7019-5. -How to Play the Belgrade Gambit, Eric Schiller, Chess Digest, 1997. ISBN 0-87568-294-4. -How to Play the Chigorin Defense in the Queen's Gambit Declined, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1991. ISBN 0-945470-11-8. -How to Play the Dilworth Attack, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1995. ISBN 0-945470-52-5, ISBN 4871874869. -How to play the Fischer Attack in the Najdorf Sicilian, Ali Mortazavi & Eric Schiller, Chess Digest, 1995. ISBN 0-87568-254-5, ISBN 4871874826. -How to Play the From Gambit, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1992. ISBN 0-945470-14-2, ISBN 4871874486. -How to Play the Goering Gambit, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1995. ISBN 0-945470-63-0. -How to Play the King's Indian Attack, Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1989. ISBN 0-931462-95-9. -How to Play the Queen's Indian, Eric Schiller & Jonathan Goldman, Chess Enterprises, 1995. ISBN 0-931462-77-0. -How to Play the Reti, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1987. ISBN 0-931462-78-9. -How to Play the Scotch Gambit, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1992. ISBN 0-945470-24-X. -How to Play the Torre Attack, Eric Schiller, Chess Digest, 1991. ISBN 0-87568-199-9. -How to Play the Torre Attack (Revised), Eric Schiller, Chess Digest, 1995. ISBN 0-87568-199-9, ISBN 4871874893. -How to Play the Winawer Countergambit, Schiller, Chess Digest, 1995. ISBN 0-87568-272-3. -How to Succeed in the Queen Pawn Openings, Schiller & Watson -How To Win With Hypermodern Chess Strategy, Raymond Keene & Eric Schiller, Hardinge-Simpole, 2003. ISBN 1-84382-105-2. -Hunting the Castled King, Eric Schiller, Ishi Press, 2012, ISBN 4871874451. -Hypermodern Chess Opening Strategy and Tactics, 2004 -Hypermodern Opening, 1999 -Hypermodern Opening Repertoire for White, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1999. ISBN 1-58042-015-X. -Improve Your Endgame, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1995. ISBN 0-945470-66-5. -Janowski Indian, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1988. ISBN 0-931462-97-5, ISBN 4871874354. -Janowski Indian eBook, Eric Schiller, ChessCentral 2004. -Joel Benjamin: Selected Games of the United States Champion, Bill Haines & Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1998. ISBN 0-945470-73-8. -Kasparov's Opening Repertoire, Leonid Shamkovich & Eric Schiller, Batsford, 1995. ISBN 0-7134-5744-9, ISBN 4871874885. -Killer Chess Tactics, Raymond Keene, Leonid Shamkovich & Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2003. ISBN 1-58042-111-3. -Learn from Bobby Fischer's Greatest Games, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2004. ISBN 1-58042-120-2. -Learn from Garry Kasparov's Greatest Games, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2005. ISBN 1-58042-146-6. -Learn to Attack with Rudolph Spielmann, Eric Schiller, Ishi Press ISBN 4871874346. -Man vs. Machines Match — Kramnik vs. Fritz Match -Mission: Checkmate! The Blackmar Diemer Gambit, 2012 -Modern Defense: Averbakh Lines, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1991. ISBN 0-931462-81-9. -Modern Stonewall Dutch, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1989. ISBN 0-931462-96-7, ISBN 4871874311. -New Ideas in the Modern Defense, 1991 -New Ideas in the RAT, Eric Schiller & Bill Maddex, Chess Enterprises, 1989. ISBN 0-931462-83-5. -Of Pawns and Kings, 2006 -The Official Rules of Chess, Schiller & Richard Peterson, Cardoza, 2001. ISBN 1-58042-025-7. -The Official Rules of Chess, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2003. ISBN 1-58042-092-3. -One Move Checkmates, 2005 -Orthodox Variation Queen's Gambit Declined, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1984. ISBN 0-931462-34-7, ISBN 4871874842. -Panov Attack: Volume 1, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1994. ISBN 0-945470-43-6, ISBN 4871874494. -Panov Attack: Volume 2, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1995. ISBN 0-945470-47-9, ISBN 4871874494. -Panov Attack: Volume 3 (Fianchetto Var.), Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1998, ISBN 4871874494. -Play the Tarrasch, Leonid Shamkovich & Eric Schiller, Pergamon, 1984. ISBN 0-08-029747-1 -Queen's Gambit Accepted Smyslov Variation, Ishi Press ISBN 4-87187-888-0, ISBN 4871878880 -Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Variation, 1984 -The Pterodactyl Defense, Eric Schiller, ISBN 4871874834. -The Ryder Gambit Accepted, Eric Schiller, Ishi Press ISBN 4871874435. -The Rubinstein Attack, Eric Schiller, Universal, 2005. ISBN 1-58112-454-6. -Saving Lost Positions, Leonid Shamkovich & Eric Schiller, Batsford, 1987. ISBN 0-02-053770-0. -Saving Lost Positions revised 2011, Leonid Shamkovich & Eric Schiller, Ishi Press. ISBN 4-87187-441-9. -The Schliemann Defense Volume 1: Tartakower Variation, Leonid Shamkovich & Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1993. ISBN 0-945470-32-0, ISBN 4871874362. -The Schliemann Defense Volume 2: Classical Variations, Leonid Shamkovich & Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1996. ISBN 0-945470-60-6, ISBN 4871874362. -Secrets of the King's Indian, Eduard Gufeld & Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1999. ISBN 1-58042-017-6. -Secrets of the Sicilian Dragon, Eduard Gufeld & Schiller, Cardoza, 1998. ISBN 0-940685-92-2. -Sicilian Classical Richter Rauzer, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1987. ISBN 0-931462-72-X. -Sicilian Defence: Yugoslav Attack with 9 Bc4, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1987. ISBN 0-931462-68-1. -The Sicilian Dragon: Yugoslav Attack II, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1989. ISBN 0-931462-88-6. -Sicilian Modern Richter Rauzer Systems, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1986. ISBN 0-931462-51-7. -Sicilian Richter Rauzer: Systems with 7...a6, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1987. ISBN 0-931462-66-5. -Spanish Gambits, Leonid Shamkovich, Batsford, 1987. ISBN 0-02-029020-9. -Spanish Gambits updated in 2011, Eric Schiller and Leonid Shamkovich, ISBN 4-87187-440-0 -Spanish Inquisition I: Zaitsev Variation, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1989. ISBN 0-931462-89-4. -Spanish: Schliemann (Jaenisch), Leonid Shamkovich & Eric Schiller, Batsford. 1983. ISBN 0-7134-4248-4, ISBN 4871874362. -Standard Chess Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1997. ISBN 0-940685-72-8. -Standard Chess Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza 2002. ISBN 1-58042-048-6. -Strategy for Advanced Players, Eric Schiller, Chess Digest, 1992. ISBN 0-87568-202-2. -Strategy for Advanced Players, Eric Schiller, Ishi Press, 2011. ISBN 4-87187-442-7. -Strategic Themes in Action, 1991 -Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings Vol. 1 (Open Games), Eric Schiller & John Watson, Cardoza, 2003. ISBN 1-58042-073-7. -Taming Wild Chess Openings, 2015 -Tarrasch French: Guimard Variation, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1990. ISBN 0-945470-02-9, ISBN 4871874478. -The Ultimate Tarrasch, Eric Schiller, Chess Central, 2001. ISBN 1-886846-42-1. -Unorthodox Chess Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1997. ISBN 0-940685-73-6. -Unorthodox Chess Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2002. ISBN 1-58042-072-9. -Unorthodox Openings, Joel Benjamin & Eric Schiller, Batsford, 1987. ISBN 0-02-016590-0. -U.S.S.R. versus Rest of World, Eric Schiller, The Chess Player, 1984. ISBN 0-906042-58-5. -Von Hennig-Schara Gambit, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1992. ISBN 0-945470-20-7. -White to Play 1.e4 and Win, Eric Schiller, Chess Digest, 1992. ISBN 0-87568-206-5. -Whiz Kids Teach Chess, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1998. ISBN 1-58042-007-9. -Who's Afraid of the King's Gambit, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1989. ISBN 0-931462-90-8. -Who's Afraid of the King's Gambit (2nd Edition), Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1998. ISBN 0-945470-68-1, ISBN 4871874303. -Wie spielt man Damenindisch, Eric Schiller, Walter Rau, 1987. ISBN 3-7919-0268-7. -Wie spielt man die Reti-Eröffnung, Eric Schiller, Walter Rau, 1988. ISBN 3-7919-0279-2. -Wie spielt man Katalanisch, Eric Schiller, Walter Rau, 1986. ISBN 3-7919-0249-0. -Win with the Djin!, Eric Schiller, Chess Enterprises, 1994. ISBN 0-945470-40-1. -Win with the Djin, Eric Schiller, Hardinge-Simpole, 2005. ISBN 1-84382-172-9. -Winning with the Hypermodern, Raymond D. Keene & Eric Schiller, Batsford, 1994. ISBN 0-7134-6874-2. -World Champion Combinations, Raymond D. Keene & Eric Schiller, Cardoza 1998. ISBN 0-940685-77-9. -World Champion Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 1996. ISBN 0-940685-69-8. -World Champion Openings, Eric Schiller, Cardoza, 2002. ISBN 1-58042-046-X. -World Champion Tactics, Leonid Shamkovich & Schiller, Cardoza, 1998. ISBN 1-58042-005-2 CDs: -Deja Vu Chess, 1994 — over 350,000 chess games in a FoxPro-based database -Dr. Schiller's How to Play Chess and Chess Game, 1997 -Kasparov's Gambit, 1993 He also authored or co-authored: -An Autolecical Account of Subordinating Serial Verb Constructions, 1991 -An (Initially) Surprising Wa Language and Mon-Khmer Word Order, 1985 -Aspects of Khmer, 1985 -Autolexical Solutions to the Problem of 'Parts of Speech' in Southeast Asian Languages, 1992 -Autolexical Theory: Ideas and Methods, 1998 -The Case for Autolexical Case, 1989 -Causativity in Southeast Asia: Historical/Comparitive Morphosyntax, 1987 -Formal Description of the Lexicon, 1997 -Forward into the Past: A Look at Khmer Morphology, 1985 -The Generalized Interface Principle, 1993 -The Genesis of Serial Verb Phrase Constructions from an Autolexical Perspective, 1990 -"How to Get the Most out of Gambit," Kasparov's Gambit User's manual, 1993 -Khmer Nominalizing and Causativizing Infixes, 1994 -Khmer Writing, 1996 -On the Definition and Distribution of Serial Verb Constructions, 1990 -On the Phrase Structure of Serial Verb Constructions, 1989 -The Parametrics of INFL, 1988 -Parasession on Autosegmental and Metrical Phonology, 1987 -Parts of Speech in Southeast Asian Languages: An Autolexical View, 1992 -Performatives in Autolexical Theory, 1996 -Pragmatics and Grammar: Cross-Modulare Relations in Autolexical Theory, 1990 -Syntactic Polysemy and the Lexicon in Khmer, 1984 -The Typology of Serial Verb Constructions, 1990 -What was, and What Happened to, the Subjunctive in English, 1990 -Which Way Did They Grow? (Morphology and the Austro-Tai Austric Debate), 1987 -Why Serial Verb Constructions" Neither Bioprogram nor Substrate, 1993 Please report broken or duplicate links to the Webmaster. Official Website Copyright 2017, 2018 by William D. Wall All Rights Reserved |
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