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Event: 71st Varsity Match • Venue: National Chess Centre • Date: 28 March 1953
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Monday March 18, 2024 10:11 AM
The 71st Varsity Chess Match between Oxford University and Cambridge University was held at the National Chess Centre, London, on Saturday 28 March 1953. All game scores from this match are available.
| 1952« 1953 Varsity Chess Match »1954 | ||||
| Bd | Oxford University | 1953 | Cambridge University | Opening, No. of Moves |
| 1w | Daniel Abraham Yanofsky (University) | 1-0 | Neil McKelvie (Queens') | Sicilian Dragon, 32 |
| 2b | Leonard William Barden (Balliol) | ½-½ | Stefan Kruger (Trinity) | KID Fianchetto, 47 |
| 3w | Derek Geoffrey Horseman (Hertford) | ½-½ | Jeremy John Arthur Handley (Selwyn) | Sicilian Wing Gambit, 39 |
| 4b | David Malet Armstrong (Exeter) | 1-0 | Alan John Willson (St John's) | QGD Semi-Tarrasch, 61 |
| 5w | Henry Morton (Christ Church) | 1-0 | Anthony George Conrad Paish (Caius) | KID Fianchetto, 33 |
| 6b | David Leslie Barrett (Corpus Christi) | 1-0 | Peter Darrell Sanderson (Sidney Sussex) | KID Fianchetto, 31 |
| 7w | John Alexander (New) | 0-1 | David Malcolm (Caius*) | French/English, 49 |
| 5-2 |
Sources: Oxford-Cambridge Chess Matches (1873-1987), compiled by Jeremy Gaige, Philadelphia 1987; The Times, 30 Mar 1953, BCM, May 1953, p121 & CHESS, May 1953, p156. * The Times, BCM, CHESS all give "Caius"; Gaige gives "Magdalene".
Notes: Time Control (by analogy with 1954): 27 moves in 1½ hours, then 20 in an hour
[The Times, 30 March 1953, page 9] "5—2 WIN FOR OXFORD FROM OUR CHESS CORRESPONDENT When Oxford and Cambridge Universities began their annual chess match at the National Chess Centre in London on Saturday, the Oxford side were generally regarded as stronger. They soon established an advantage on most boards and their eventual win by 5—2 was a fair reflection of play. On the top board Yanofsky, perhaps the strongest first board Oxford has ever possessed, won a powerfully played game against McKelvie. His exploitation of centre control was well-nigh perfect. For a long time it looked as though Barden, on the second board, was going to follow Yanofsky’s example, for as early as move 14 he had won two minor pieces for a rook and pawn; but he could not evolve a winning plan and had to be content with a draw against Kruger’s resourceful play. On board 3 Horseman played with great dash against Handley but could not quite hammer his attack home. At the end Handley was trying to win, though the presence of bishops of opposite colour prevented him from utilizing his pawn majority. Willson on board 4 had quite a good game against Armstrong but weakened sadly in the ending, which he conducted much too passively. - PLANNED SACRIFICE - The fifth game was in many ways the best of the match, the final winning combination by which Morton gave up his queen for a rook and minor piece being very well considered. On board 6 the luck was with Oxford, as the Cambridge player was in a winning position until the last two moves, only to miss a clear winning line and then overlook that his opponent could capture a pawn and give check with disastrous consequences. There was a level struggle for some time on the last board until the Cambridge player out-manoeuvred his opponent to obtain a won rook and pawn ending."
"By winning this match Oxford not only draw level with Cambridge for the first time in the 50 years' series but they become the first holders of the Margaret Pugh Trophy - the gold cup recently presented by Miss Margaret Pugh, of Birmingham." (BCM)
Oxford Past v Cambridge Past, 18 April 1953, National Centre Centre
| Oxford University Past | v | Cambridge University Past | Opening | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1b | Theodore Henry Tylor (Balliol) | 0-1 | C Hugh O'D Alexander (King's) | Pirc |
| 2w | Dr James Macrae Aitken (Balliol) | 0-1 | P Stuart Milner-Barry (Trinity) | Ruy Lopez |
| 3b | Dennis Morton Horne (Oriel) | 0-1 | Oliver Penrose (King's) | Ruy Lopez |
| 4w | Richard Hilary Newman (Worcester) | ½-½ | Denis Victor Mardle (Christ's) | Sicilian |
| 5b | John Warcup Cornforth (St Catherine's) | ½-½ | Irving John Good (Jesus) | French |
| 6w | Alfred William Bowen (Oriel) | 1-0 | John Matthias Bee (St Catharine's) | QGD |
| 7b | (Edward) Leslie Stuart (Merton) | 1-0 | John Dean (St Catharine's) | QGA |
| 8w | William Ernest Baker Pryer (Pembroke) | 1-0 | William D Lowe (Christ's) | Sicilian |
| 9b | (Nicholas) Anthony Perkins (St John's) | 1-0 | John Robert Gilbert (St Catharine's) | Sicilian |
| 10w | William Edward Cole Richards (Hertford) | ½-½ | William Rawson Greenhalgh (Pembroke) | QGD |
| 11b | John Montgomerie (Corpus Christi) | ½-½ | Eric Augustus Coad-Pryor (Trinity) | Colle |
| 12w | David Le Brun Jones (Trinity) | 0-1 | Richard William Barnes Clarke (Clare) | Dutch Defence |
| 6-6 |
Sources: BCM, May 1953, p121 & June 1953, p158