IMYury Lapshun

Yury Lapshun came from Ukraine and established his career as a player, coach and author in New York. He has taught with Chess in the Schools for more than twenty-five years. His early work involved moving between three schools to teach classroom lessons. At P.S./I.S. 180 in Brooklyn, he prepared students for national competition through tournament practice, opening study and game review. In a 2025 interview, he recalled three national team championships in four years, in the under-900 and under-1400 sections, alongside three individual champions. His writing includes two opening books co-authored with Nick Conticello. Play 1 b4!, published in 2008, examines the Sokolsky Opening. Seven Ways to Smash the Sicilian followed in 2009, focusing on attacking sacrifices in Open Sicilian positions.