Robert Hess (chess player)

Hess attended the Browning School, a private all-boys preparatory school in Manhattan. He is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School in New York.Hanken, p. 20. In the 2007–08 school year, he was a sophomore and the co-captain of Stuyvesant's junior varsity football team, on which he was a starting linebacker.Hanken, pp. 20, 22.

After deferring a year to play chess, Hess attended Yale University and graduated in 2015 with a degree in history. He became the co-founder and chief operating officer of The Sports Quotient, a now defunct sports blog.{{cite news |date=September 13, 2012 |title=A Different Type of Grandmaster Analysis: The Sports Quotient |website=uschess.org |publisher=US Chess Federation |url=https://www.uschess.org/index.php/September-/A-Different-Type-of-Grandmaster-Analysis-The-Sports-Quotient.html |access-date=January 18, 2022}}{{cite news |last=Kasper |first=Kenny |date=September 25, 2012 |title=Sports Quotient blog launched by Penn undergrads |work=The Daily Pennsylvanian |url=https://www.thedp.com/article/2012/09/sports-quotient-blog-launched-by-penn-undergrads |access-date=January 18, 2022}}

The 2006 U.S. Junior Champion,{{cite web | url=https://www.uschess.org/index.php/July/Robert-Hess-14-takes-the-U.S.-Junior.html | title=The United States Chess Federation - Robert Hess ,14 takes the U.S. Junior. }} Hess achieved his final norm for the International Master title at the 2007 Cannes Open,Jerry Hanken, "Shulman Wins, But Hess Wows", Chess Life, June 2008, at pp. 16, 20. and was later awarded the title IM by FIDE.

Hess achieved his first grandmaster norm at the 2008 Foxwoods Open, held on April 19 through April 23 at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut.Hanken, pp. 22, 23. He scored 7–2, tying for first with grandmasters Alexander Shabalov, Yury Shulman, Julio Becerra, and Alexander Ivanov.Hanken, p. 23. Shulman (who handed Hess his only loss) and Ivanov (whom Hess defeated) had the best tiebreaks. Shulman was declared the Foxwoods Open Champion after winning an Armageddon playoff game against Ivanov. Id., pp. 17–18. Hess won his first two games against masters, then played seven grandmasters, scoring four wins, two draws, and one loss.Hanken, p. 21.{{Cite web|url=http://ratings.fide.com/tourney.phtml?field1=2022036|title=Hess's results at 2008 Foxwoods Open}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} His performance rating for the tournament was approximately 2770 USCF.Hanken, p. 20. FIDE and the USCF maintain separate rating systems. Although both use the Elo rating system, a player's rating may be higher under one system than the other. Many players are rated by the USCF, but not by FIDE, or vice versa. Chess journalist Jerry Hanken called Hess's achievement "one of the greatest performances by an American teenager since the heyday of Bobby Fischer!"

Hess obtained his second norm by winning the SPICE Spring Grandmaster Invitational in March 2009. The next month, he secured his third and final grandmaster norm in the Foxwoods Open, a performance which included an upset over Hikaru Nakamura. In 2009 Hess also won the K-12 SuperNationals tournaments."Sadvakasov Sneaks Past Shulman" (http://chesstournamentservices.com/cca/2009/04/sadvakasov-sneaks-past-shulman/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419011920/http://chesstournamentservices.com/cca/2009/04/sadvakasov-sneaks-past-shulman/ |date=April 19, 2009 }}). CCA Chess Tournaments (April 13, 2009)."Foxwoods Open" (http://chesstournamentservices.com/cca/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426053121/http://chesstournamentservices.com/cca/ |date=April 26, 2009 }}). CCA Chess Tournaments. Retrieved April 16, 2009.{{Cite news |last=McClain |first=Dylan Loeb |date=2009-03-29 |title=New York Teenager Stakes His Place Among the Elite |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/crosswords/chess/29chess.html |access-date=2022-08-19 |issn=0362-4331}}

In the 2009 US Chess Championship in May, Hess tied for second with Alexander Onischuk, with a score of +5 −1 =3, losing only to eventual winner Nakamura.{{Cite web|url=http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/US-Championship-2009-Standings|title=2009 US championship crosstable|access-date=May 20, 2009|archive-date=May 14, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514030615/http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/US-Championship-2009-Standings|url-status=dead}} He was on the silver-medal US team at the 2009 World Team Championships in Bursa, Turkey.{{Cite web |title=The United States Chess Federation - Silver for the Team and Two Individual Golds: World Team Closing Gallery |url=http://www.uschess.org/index.php/January/Silver-for-the-Team-and-Two-Individual-Golds-World-Team-Closing-Gallery.html |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=www.uschess.org}} Hess was awarded the 2010 Samford Fellowship "based on his chess talent, work ethic, dedication and accomplishments".{{Cite web |title=The United States Chess Federation - GM Robert Hess is the 2010 Samford Fellow |url=http://www.uschess.org/index.php/April-/GM-Robert-Hess-is-the-2010-Samford-Fellow.html |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=www.uschess.org}} He was also a member of the 2010 US Olympiad Team.{{Cite web |title=The United States Chess Federation - US Olympiad Teams Finalized |url=http://www.uschess.org/index.php/August/US-Olympiad-Teams-Finalized.html |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=www.uschess.org}} In December 2011 he tied for first–second with Alexander Kovchan in the Groningen Chess Festival, defeating Evgeny Romanov and Sergei Tiviakov on his way to a 2702 performance rating.{{cite web |url=http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/groningen-chess-festival-2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802070944/http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/groningen-chess-festival-2011 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-08-02 |title=The Week in Chess: Groningen Chess Festival 2011 |last=Crowther |first=Mark |date=2011-12-30 |publisher=Chess.co.uk |accessdate=December 31, 2011}}

Hess won Group B in the 2011 U.S. Championship with a score of 5.5/7, defeating former champions Alexander Onischuk, Alexander Shabalov, and Larry Christiansen, all with the black pieces.{{Cite web |title=US Championship (Group B) (2011) |url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=73477 |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=www.chessgames.com}}

Hess scored additional successes in the late 2010s. In 2017, he won the North American Open in Las Vegas.{{Cite web |title=North American OpenStandings for Open |url=https://chessevents.com/event/northamerican/2017/standings/open |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=chessevents.com}}{{Cite web |last=vwest |date=2018-01-09 |title=Five Tie in Record North American Open |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/five-tie-record-north-american-open |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=US Chess.org |language=en}} In 2018, he scored 5.5/9 at the Isle of Man Masters, drawing with former world champion Viswanathan Anand in the process.{{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - Chess.com Isle of Man International Chess Tournament - Masters |url=http://chess-results.com/tnr385685.aspx?lan=1&art=1&flag=30 |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=chess-results.com}}{{Cite web |title=Viswanathan Anand vs Robert Hess (2018) |url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1935346 |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=www.chessgames.com}} Hess’s most recent major chess event is the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2019, where he scored 5.5/11 and defeated then-reigning U.S. Champion Sam Shankland.{{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss 2019 |url=http://chess-results.com/tnr478041.aspx?lan=1&art=9&fed=USA&turdet=YES&flag=30&snr=113 |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=chess-results.com}}

Hess was the coach of the U.S. team at the 44th Chess Olympiad and also coached the U.S. women’s team at the 42nd and 43rd Chess Olympiads in 2016 and 2018.{{cite web | url=https://in.usembassy.gov/u-s-consul-general-judith-ravin-welcomes-u-s-chess-team-to-chennai/ | title=Technical Difficulties | date=July 29, 2022 }}{{Cite web |last=Shahade |first=Jennifer |date=2016-08-28 |title=Powerful US Teams Head to Olympiad in Baku |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/powerful-us-teams-head-to-olympiad-in-baku |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=US Chess.org |language=en}} He was a second to Fabiano Caruana at the Chess World Cup 2021 in Sochi, Russia.{{Cite web |last=Doggers (PeterDoggers) |first=Peter |title=FIDE World Cup R3.2: Caruana Knocked Out |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2021-fide-world-cup-round-3-day-2-caruana-jumabayev |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=Chess.com |date=July 26, 2021 |language=en-US}}

Additionally, Hess has coached PogChamps participants Ludwig Ahgren and Hafu. Hess and Ahgren together won the Twitch Rivals Hand & Brain Showdown in 2021.{{Cite web |title=twitchrivals/status/1431045625370583040|url=https://twitter.com/twitchrivals/status/1431045625370583040?lang=en |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=Twitter |language=en}}{{Citation |title=How I Accidentally Won a Chess Tournament | date=September 2, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqhyyqvt7Bg |language=en |access-date=2023-02-20}}

Hess is a longtime commentator for Chess.com and was on the call for the 2021 World Chess Championship along with Daniel Rensch and Fabiano Caruana.{{Citation |title=FIDE World Chess Championship Game 6 {{!}} Carlsen vs. Nepo | date=December 3, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEiCb6phWAY |language=en |access-date=2023-02-20}} Hess has also commentated for the Chess.com Speed Chess Championship and Junior Speed Chess Championship, the Pro Chess League, the Chess.com Global Championship, and PogChamps, as well as done Chess.com commentary for major events such as Tata Steel.

Hess has appeared as a panelist at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on occasions since 2019, discussing topics such as chess engines and lessons that chess can offer to other sports.{{Cite web |title=Beyond the Gambit: Chess' Big Move {{!}} MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference |url=https://www.sloansportsconference.com/event/beyond-the-gambit-chess-big-move |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=www.sloansportsconference.com}}{{Cite web |title=Chess and Machines: The Future of the World's Oldest Game {{!}} MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference |url=https://www.sloansportsconference.com/event/chess-and-machines-the-future-of-the-worlds-oldest-game |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=www.sloansportsconference.com}}

Hess is a longtime supporter of the Charity Chess Championship, which in 2017 raised over $20,000 for Band of Parents; in 2018 raised over $56,000 for ovarian cancer research at Mount Sinai Hospital, and in 2019 raised over $60,000 for pancreatic cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center.{{Cite web |last=Shahade |first=Jennifer |date=2018-07-12 |title=Robert Hess on Charity Chess: $56,000 Raised |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/charitychesschamps |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=US Chess.org |language=en}}

{{reflist|35em}}

• {{FIDE}}
• {{USCF|name=Robert L. Hess}}
• {{OlimpBase player}}
• {{Chessgames.com player|57258}}
• {{Chess.com player|robert-hess|member=GMHess}}
• {{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hschool/2007/09/02/2007-09-02_robert_hess_is_a_15yearold_chess_prodigy.html |title=Robert Hess is a 15-year-old chess prodigy & plays football |work=New York Daily News |first=Filip |last=Bondy |date=September 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904084140/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hschool/2007/09/02/2007-09-02_robert_hess_is_a_15yearold_chess_prodigy.html |archive-date=September 4, 2007}}
• {{cite news |url=http://main.uschess.org/content/view/9314/525 |title=Interview with GM-elect Robert Hess |website=uschess.org |publisher=US Chess Federation |first=Jennifer |last=Shahade |author-link=Jennifer Shahade |date=April 17, 2009}}

{{American chess grandmasters}}

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Category:1991 births

Category:Living people

Category:American chess players

Category:Chess Grandmasters

Category:Stuyvesant High School alumni

Category:Browning School alumni

Category:Yale University alumni

Category:American Twitch (service) streamers

Category:Chess Olympiad competitors