Education
He finished third in the 58th Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Chess Championship.
He finished third in the 58th Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Chess Championship.
His other tournament successes include 3rd-4th with Vladimir Akopian at the New York Open Championship in 1998, first at the Monarch Assurance Public Limited Company 11th International Chess Tournament in Isle of Manitoba 2002, and 1st–3rd with Vladimir Burmakin and Marijan Petrov at the 21st Le Touquet Open in 2006. He was one of the assistants (seconds) to Anatoly Karpov during the late stages of Karpov"s career (from 1987 to 1996). A variation of the Benko Gambit is named the Epishin Variation after him (1d4 Nf6 2c4 c5 3d5 b5 4cxb5 a6 5bxa6 g6 6Nc3 Bxa6 7Nf3 d6 8g3 Bg7 9Bg2 Nbd7 10Rb1).