ESP Biography



DANIEL GRAZIAN, MIT senior in Mathematics with Computer Science




Major: 18c

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: 2013

Picture of Daniel Grazian

Brief Biographical Sketch:

This year, all the classes I am teaching are chess-related. I've been playing competitive chess since I was twelve, and my rating is approximately USCF 2050. My goal is to break 2100 by the end of this school year and to break 2200 by the end of the year after that.

Besides chess, my interests include tennis, go, other strategic board games, live action role playing, and computer programming. I hope to work as a software developer next year.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

W6145: Play Bughouse: Team Chess! in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
Ever wanted to play chess on teams? It turns out there's already a chess format with a funky name for that -- Bughouse! Come join us for a couple of games of Bughouse chess, all levels welcome.


W6596: Chess Simul in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
I will play chess simultaneously against all comers. See if you can beat me! All levels are welcome!


X6599: Improve your Chess in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
I will be reviewing students' recorded chess games. Students should bring the scoresheet of a game that they would like me to review and critique. Bring an interesting game that other players will benefit from analyzing. Note that I will not be able to go over everybody's game, but you should bring one anyway, just in case.


M5681: Introduction to Discrete Mathematics in HSSP Spring 2012 (Feb. 18, 2012)
Do you know how to count up to 10? What about counting the number of possible 5 card hands in poker? We will cover a variety of topics in discrete mathematics. We will start off by discussing combinatorics, which is how to count the number of a type of objects. We will then move on to probability, where we will learn how to estimate the chances of a particular event happening. We will then talk about a little bit of number theory, which studies the properties of numbers, and we will finish the class with some puzzle problems, which will relate to the topics that we discussed earlier


W5828: Play Bughouse -- Team Chess! in Spark! 2012 (Mar. 10, 2012)
Come play bughouse with us! Bughouse is a variant of chess involving teams of two and the ability to place taken pieces on your side of the field. We'll give you a brief intro and then play some games! Maybe we'll even do a mini-tournament!


X5877: Mafia in Spark! 2012 (Mar. 10, 2012)
I will explain the rules and some basic strategy of the popular parlor game, mafia. The students will then play as many games of mafia as time allows, and I will offer feedback.


W5885: Chess Simultaneous Exhibition in Spark! 2012 (Mar. 10, 2012)
I will be running a simultaneous chess exhibition. I will go from board to board, playing 12 to 18 people at once. Good luck!


W5118: Bughouse! in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
Come play bughouse with us! In case you don't know, bughouse is a variant of chess involving teams of two and the ability to place taken pieces. We'll give you a brief intro and then play some games! Maybe we'll even do a mini-tournament!


W5206: Chess Simultaneous Exhibition in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
I will be running a simultaneous chess exhibition. This means I will be playing a dozen or more people at once, moving from board to board. See if you can take me down!


X5208: Mafia in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
Mafia is a game of psychology and deceit in which a few secret "mafia" attempt to eliminate the other players before their identities are discovered. New and veteran players to the game are welcome! The focus of the class will be simply playing the game, but I will offer postgame feedback and perhaps teach a little theory. Depending on student interest, we may try various Mafia variants.


W3927: Chess Seminar in Splash! 2010 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2010)
I will be running a simultaneous chess exhibition (where I walk from board to board playing a dozen or more games simultaneously.) Players are allowed and encouraged to talk and collaborate. All skill levels, from beginner to master, are encouraged to attend. Players of expert strength and above may join me in running an alternating simul.