Hendrik Jacob (Jaap) van den Herik (born 8 October 1947 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) is a Dutch computer scientist and professor (emeritus) at Leiden University.^[1] He is known for his research and contributions in the fields of computer chess and artificial intelligence.^[1]

Van den Herik was educated at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Delft University of Technology. In 1983, supervised by Henk Lombaers, Adriaan de Groot, and Joop Doorman, he completed his dissertation "Computerschaak, Schaakwereld en Kunstmatige Intelligentie" (Computer Chess, Chess World and Artificial Intelligence). Throughout his academic career, his institutional affiliations have included Delft University of Technology, McGill University, Maastricht University, Tilburg University, and Leiden University. Among his notable doctoral students are Victor Allis and Antal van den Bosch.

Van den Herik completed his secondary education at the Marnix Gymnasium in Rotterdam and studied mathematics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he obtained his MA, graduating cum laude in 1974. After his graduation in 1974, he continued at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam as a researcher. In 1975, he became an assistant professor at the Delft University of Technology. In 1983, he received his PhD at Delft University of Technology with the dissertation entitled "Computer Chess, chess and artificial intelligence" ("Computerschaak, schaakwereld en kunstmatige intelligentie"), supervised by Henk Lombaers, Adriaan de Groot, and Joop Doorman.

English Wikipedia reports that he served at the School of Computer Science at McGill University in Montreal, Canada from 1987 to 2008 before being appointed professor at Maastricht University, whereas Dutch Wikipedia states that after an appointment at McGill University, he was a professor at Maastricht University from 1987 to 2008. Since 1991, he has also been affiliated with Leiden University. From 2008 (serving until 2016 according to English Wikipedia), he was a professor at Tilburg University and served as the founding director of the Tilburg Center for Cognition and Communication (TiCC).^[2,6] Since 2014, he has been a professor of Computer Science and Law at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.^[8]

In 1980, together with several chess enthusiasts including Max Euwe, Van den Herik was a co-founder of the Computer Chess Association Netherlands (CSVN). He is also a co-founder of the NVKI (Dutch Association for Artificial Intelligence) and served as its president and chairman from 1990 to 1995. From 1991 to 1999, he was also president of JURIX, the international Foundation for Legal Knowledge-Based Systems. Starting in 1983, Van den Herik became editor-in-chief of the Journal of the International Computer Games Association (ICGA Journal), holding the role until 2015 according to English Wikipedia.^[7]

Van den Herik's research interests and expertise lie in the areas of agents, computer networks, computer systems, information technology, computer science, knowledge management, artificial intelligence, and game theory.^[3,9] Since the late 1970s, he has studied computer chess and computer-based adjudication and legal judgment, both of which have developed significantly over recent decades. Computers and computer programs play chess better than many a grandmaster, and in the administration of justice, the emphasis has shifted from cognition to perception. Since the new millennium, he has also conducted research with Eric Postma to develop expert systems for art experts and investigate the extent to which computers can operate as art connoisseurs.^[4,10]

Jaap van den Herik published several books and various articles.^[11] In 1983, he published Computerschaak, schaakwereld en kunstmatige intelligentie (Computer Chess, Chess World, and Artificial Intelligence). He authored Kunnen Computers Rechtspreken? (Can Computers Dispense Justice?), published by Gouda Quint in Arnhem in 1991 (ISBN 90-6000-842-1). Together with Alexander Ollongren, he wrote Filosofie van de informatica, published by Routledge in London and New York in 1999 (ISBN 0-415-19749-X). In 2002, he published Chips Challenging Champions together with editor J. Schaeffer through Elsevier in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (ISBN 0 444 50949 6). In 2004, van den Herik, Hiroyuki Iida, and Ernst A. Heinz edited Advances in Computer Games: Many Games, Many Challenges, published by Springer (349 pp., ISBN 1-4020-7709-2).