Since 1895, the Hart House Chess Club has been featured in numerous articles and publications. Most early information on the club is through physical copies and photographs; however, some digital information listed below is available on the web.
Newspapers
The Hart House Chess Club has been featured by major Toronto newspapers ever since it’s founding. In some earlier publications, the club is referred to as the University Chess Club. The following newspaper examples come from the Toronto Star / Toronto Daily Star archives and the Globe and Mail archives.
Digital Publications
The Hart House Chess Club has been featured in numerous digital publications in Toronto. Some past examples include:
https://harthouse.ca/blog/chess-prodigy-values-the-fun-social-aspects-of-hart-house-club | Hart House
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-canadas-biggest-college-chess-club-still-going-strong-after-127-years/ | Globe and Mail
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/esports-k-pop-u-t-hosts-hundreds-community-oriented-clubs-and-student-groups | UofT News
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/100-1-day-u-t | UofT News
https://en.chessbase.com/post/2nd-ivy-league-chess-challenge | ChessBase
https://thevarsity.ca/2013/10/21/chess-pieces-and-paper-cranes/ | The Varsity
https://thevarsity.ca/2018/11/19/checkmate/ | The Varsity
https://www.blogto.com/sports_play/2012/04/chess_in_toronto/ | BlogTO
https://magazine.utoronto.ca/campus/history/game-of-kings-and-queens-paul-keres-hart-house-chess-club/ | UofT Magazine
https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/368115/professor-wins-chess-championship | Toronto Public Library Digital Archives
https://archive.org/details/torontonensis98univ/page/154/mode/2up | Torontonesis
The following is an article by The Toronto Standard about the different atmosphere of a chess park at Queen and Church Streets in Toronto and our own Hart House Chess Club. Yes, we do play chess in “one hell of a room”. Yes, we are “wildly smart” and cool like Miles Davis. Considering Toronto’s Disparate Chess Scenes. The Toronto Standard, 28/01/2013.
In July 2013, Hart House had the pleasure of having Iran’s best chess player GM Elshan Moradiabadi come and give us a lecture. We then played blitz chess (speed chess) in The Reading Room of Hart House. GM Moradiabadi wrote about his experiences in Toronto in an article on ChessBase. An Iranian in Toronto. Chessbase News, 18/08/2013.
Local Toronto chess historian Erik Malmsten writes in the Toronto Chess News about the history of chess at The University of Toronto in general and at Hart House in particular, in addition to sharing his personal experiences playing there. Chess History at Hart House. Toronto Chess News, 01/01/2013.
Two former Secretaries of the Hart House Chess Club discuss the appeal of the game, the Club’s accomplishments and atmosphere with U of T Magazine. Checkmate! U of T Magazine, Spring 2008.
Press Inquiries
We are always open to press inquires and opportunities to expand the reach of chess to UofT students and community members. For press and media inquiries, please contact us at hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca.
Hart House Chess Club 