The New York Times Crossword · 2-Down · 3 letters
Eponym of a chess rating system The New York Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed August 19, 2026
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Identity cue
Think of the numbered chess strength measure named for its creator.
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Answer
Why this is the right reference
The chess rating system is named for Arpad Elo, who devised the method adopted by the U.S. Chess Federation. “Eponym” asks for the person whose name became the term.
Continue this puzzleForfends →Reference to identify
“Eponym” means the naming person, so the answer is a surname rather than the rating itself.
Who or what the answer is
Arpad Elo, the physicist and chess player whose name identifies the Elo rating system.
Where this clue appeared
2-Down in The New York Times Crossword puzzle for August 18, 2026.
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