Harvard–Yale chess match
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The Harvard-Yale chess match is held annually around the time of the Harvard-Yale football game in November on the campus of the university hosting the football game that year. It is a relatively informal match and the schools don't typically submit the games to the United States Chess Federation for rating. Nevertheless, it is one of the highlights of the year for each school's chess club. The match typically consists of five games, pitting five current Harvard students against five current Yale students (undergraduate or graduate), with each board numbered 1 through 5 (with 1 having the strongest players and 5 having the weakest). The team with the most game points is declared the winner of the match, with a win worth 1 point, a draw worth half a point, and a loss worth 0 points. In the case of a tie, either the match is declared a tie, or a tie-breaking procedure is applied. Tie-breaking procedures applied in the past included using the result of the strongest non-drawing board as the result of the match, or using results achieved on boards numbered higher than 5 by players from each school who were not selected to be in the top five. Match details vary each year depending on the preferences of current members of each school’s chess club.
Those who play in the match are typically strong tournament players. The ratings range from around 1800 to 2400 USCF. Players occasionally are FIDE International Masters or Grand Masters.
As of 2018, the champion is Harvard, after defeating Yale 4-1.
Results
| Year | Site | Match format | Tie-break | Winner | Score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Harvard | 5 boards, G/30 | None | Harvard | 4-1 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2017 | Yale | 5 boards, G/30 | None | Tie | 2½-2½ | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2016 | Harvard | 5 boards, G/30 | None | Harvard | 5-0 | 2328 | Unknown |
| 2015 | Yale | 5 boards, G/45 | None | Harvard | 4-1 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2014 | Harvard | 5 boards, G/45 | 6th board | Harvard | 3-2 | 2162 | 2031 |
| 2013[1] | Yale | 5 boards, G/60 | Unknown | Yale | 3-2 | 2069 | 2200 |
| 2012 | Harvard | 5 boards, G/60 | Additional boards | Tie | 2½-2½ | Unknown | 2211 |
| 2011[2] | Yale | 5 boards, G/60 | Additional boards | Yale | 3-2 | 2119 | 2258 |
| 2010 | Harvard | 5 boards, G/60 | tie-break proc. | Harvard | 3-2 | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 2009[3] | Yale | 5 boards, G/60 | tie-break proc. | Harvard | 3-2 | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 2008 | Harvard | 5 boards, G/45 | None | Harvard | 4-1 | 2186 | 2079 |
| 2007[4] | Yale | match format | tie-break proc. | Tie | score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 2006[4] | Harvard | Unknown | Unknown | Harvard | 3-2 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2005[4] | Yale | 5 boards, G/60 | Non-draw result on strongest board | Yale | 3-2 | 2083 | 2092 |
| 2004[5] | Harvard | 4 boards, G/60 | None | Tie | 2-2 | 2118 | 2225 |
| 2003 | site | match format | tie-break proc. | winner | score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 2002 | site | match format | tie-break proc. | winner | score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 2001[6] | site | match format | tie-break proc. | Yale | score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 2000[7] | site | match format | tie-break proc. | Harvard | score | 2066 | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 1999[6] | site | match format | tie-break proc. | Yale | score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 1998 | site | match format | tie-break proc. | winner | score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 1997 | site | match format | tie-break proc. | winner | score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 1996 | site | match format | tie-break proc. | winner | score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
| 1995 | site | match format | tie-break proc. | winner | score | Harvard avg. USCF rating | Yale avg. USCF rating |
Notable players who have competed in the match
- Darwin Yang (Harvard: 2016)
- Robert Hess (Yale: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
- Patrick Wolff (Yale, Harvard, GM title earned in 1990)
- Joel Benjamin (Yale, GM title earned in 1986)
- Richard Wang (Harvard: 2016)
- Matthew Larson (Yale: 2015, IM title earned in 2018)
- Bogdan Vioreanu (Yale: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
- Marc Esserman (Harvard: 2001, IM title earned in 2009)
- Teddy Coleman (Harvard: 2008, 2009, 2010, IM title earned in 2012)
- Varun Krishnan (Harvard: 2016)
- Akira Watanabe (Yale: 2004)
- Jacob Chudnovsky (Harvard: 2000)
- Charles Riordan (Harvard: 2000, FM title earned in 2008)
Other
- Kurt Hugo Schneider (Yale: 2006, 2008, 2009)
Games
References
- ^ Zuo, Vance (2013-11-22). "Harvard-Yale Match, 2013 | Yale College Chess Club". Yalechess.org. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
- ^ "Chess Club News: Yale Beats Harvard! – Chess Horizons Article from MACA". Masschess.org. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
- ^ "Yale College Chess Club - Old Website". Yalechess.org. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
- ^ a b c "THE GAME | Rivalry on the chess board". Yale Daily News. 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
- ^ "USCF MSA - Cross Table for HARVARD-YALE ANNUAL CHESS MATC (Event 200411206740)". Uschess.org. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
- ^ a b Hsieh, Tiffany I. (2001-11-19). "Harvard Loses Chess Title to Yale | News | The Harvard Crimson". Thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
- ^ Lalley, Adam M. (2000-11-22). "Harvard Triumphs Over Yale in Weekend Chess Match | News | The Harvard Crimson". Thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.