Miron Sher facts for kids

Miron Naumovich Sher (Russian: Мирон Наумович Шер; June 29, 1952 – August 20, 2020) was a talented chess player and coach. He was born in the Soviet Union and later became an American citizen. In 1992, he earned the highest title in chess, Grandmaster (GM).

Sher was known for his amazing knowledge of chess openings. He used this skill to become a great coach, helping many young players become champions. He moved to the United States in 1997 and became a very important chess coach in New York City. He helped train several top players, including Fabiano Caruana, who became one of the best chess players in the world, and Robert Hess, who became a grandmaster at a young age.

Becoming a Chess Master

Miron Sher was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. He studied at Chernivtsi University and then went to a special sports university in Moscow. In 1975, he earned the national title of Master of Sports of the USSR in Chess. This was a big achievement, as only 25 people in the entire country earned it that year. His wife, Alla Grinfeld, also a chess master, earned this title a year before him.

Sher had many successes in chess tournaments. In 1981, he shared first place at the USSR Armed Forces Championship in Mykolaiv. He also tied for third place in the semifinals of the Soviet Championship that same year.

A fellow Grandmaster, Adrian Mikhalchishin, who knew Sher since they were kids, said that Sher was a very talented player. However, he faced tough competition from other future Grandmasters, so he didn't get to play on the Ukrainian youth team.

Coaching the Russian Team

From 1981 to 1985, Sher was a chess coach for the Russian national team. His deep understanding of how chess games begin (called "openings") made him a fantastic coach.

As the Soviet Union started to allow more international travel in 1987, Sher began to play in tournaments around the world. He achieved good results in places like Prague, Novi Sad, Eforie Nord, and Budapest. In 1989, he won a tournament in Balatonberény. He continued to win or share first place in several tournaments in the early 1990s, including events in Belgorod and Farum.

Sher earned the title of International Master in 1988. Four years later, in 1992, he became a Grandmaster.

Coaching Future Champions

After visiting Scandinavia in 1990, Sher started coaching Peter Heine Nielsen in Copenhagen. For four years, Sher traveled there every three months to spend a week teaching Nielsen. Their coaching ended when Nielsen became a grandmaster in 1994, but they remained friends. Years later, Nielsen joined the team helping Magnus Carlsen, the World Chess Champion, and still asked Sher for advice.

In New York, Sher coached at several school chess programs. These included the Dalton School, IS 318, and Stuyvesant High School. These schools are famous for their strong chess teams.

Coaching Fabiano Caruana

Miron Sher coached Fabiano Caruana from age 8 to 12 (2000-2004). Caruana's training was very intense, with many hours spent on lessons, online play, tournaments, and solving chess problems. While being coached by Sher, Caruana became the youngest U.S. player to defeat a grandmaster. This happened on September 30, 2002, when Caruana, at just 10 years old, beat GM Aleksander Wojtkiewicz. Caruana later became the youngest U.S. and Italian citizen to become a grandmaster at age 14.

Other Notable Students

Sher also trained other talented young players. He coached Keaton Kiewra from Lincoln, Nebraska, helping him become an International Master. He also coached Darrian Robinson, who became the highest-rated African American female chess player in the U.S. Chess Federation system. Another famous student was Robert Hess, who became a grandmaster and later said that Sher was his only coach.

In 2009, the World Chess Federation created special certifications for chess coaches. Sher, like some other experienced coaches, didn't think these papers were necessary. However, he applied for the highest level, FIDE Senior Trainer, because a friend who was in charge of the program asked him to. He believed it was important for good coaches to be on the list.

Family Life

Miron Sher and his wife, Alla Berkovna Grinfeld, also a Woman Grandmaster, met while he was studying in Voronezh, Russia. Alla is also a respected chess educator in New York and worked closely with Miron in teaching chess. She was born in Spassk-Dalny, Russia.

Sher said that a main reason for his family moving from Russia to the United States in 1997 was his concern that his son, Mikhail, might have to join the Russian military. Mikhail went on to earn several degrees from top universities and is now a scholar and educator in business management.

Death

Miron Sher passed away on August 20, 2020, in New York City. He was buried on August 23, 2020, at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Glendale. In an article about his death, GM Robert Hess shared that Miron Sher had been his only chess coach.

Selected Videos of Games and Lectures

• Miron Sher vs. Viktor Bologan, 1993 via YouTube (re: Victor Bologan)
• John Nunn vs. Miron Sher, 1994 via YouTube
• Artur Kogan vs Miron Sher, 18^th Politiken Cup, Copenhagen, 1996 via YouTube (re: Artur Kogan)
• "What Does It Take to Be a Chess Master?" (Miron Sher at IS 318, Williamsburg, Brooklyn), Teen Kids News, October 30, 2018, via YouTube

Published Work

Miron Sher also wrote a pamphlet called Trends in the Czech and Schmid Benoni in 1996. This book looked at 100 important chess games from 1992-1995 that used specific chess openings like the Czech Benoni and Modern Benoni.

See also

• List of nationality transfers in chess (re: Miron Sher)
• List of chess families