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Tournament: 81st Varsity Match • Venue: University of London Union, Malet Street • Date: 23 March 1963
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The 81st Varsity Chess Match between Oxford University and Cambridge University was held at the University of London Union, Malet Street, London, on 23 March 1963. All game scores from this match are available.
| 1962« 1963 Varsity Chess Match »1964 | ||||
| Bd | Oxford University | 1963 | Cambridge University | Opening, No. of Moves |
| 1b | John Kenneth Footner (Queen's) | 1-0 | George Michael Sheldrick (Jesus) | Morra Gambit |
| 2w | John Walter F May (Queen's) | 0-1 | Christopher Baruch Wood (Emmanuel) | QGD Tarrasch |
| 3b | Graham Coleridge Taylor (Worcester) | 0-1 | Ian Christopher Smart (Trinity) | Morra Gambit Declined |
| 4w | Roger William Morgan (Merton) | 1-0 | Ian Roebuck (King's) | Alekhine's Def |
| 5b | Peter Nicholas Lee (Exeter) | ½-½ | Frederick Michael Akeroyd (St John's) | King's Gambit Declined |
| 6w | Paul Doyle Yerbury (Jesus) | 1-0 | David Ian Wishart Reynolds (Emmanuel) | French |
| 7b | Alastair Ian Ninian Brodie (Balliol) | ½-½ | David John Ferguson Ewing (Emmanuel) | Sicilian |
| 4-3 |
Sources: Oxford-Cambridge Chess Matches (1873-1987), compiled by Jeremy Gaige, Philadelphia 1987; BCM, May 1963, p139; CHESS, March 1963, p189-190; The Times, 25 Mar 1963, p8; Christopher Wood email, 2005.
Notes
BCM report (May 1963, p139) gives the bare results of games, date, venue, plus the following photo:
The Winning Oxford Team: From left to right (standing): PN Lee, JWF May, GC Taylor, AIN Brodie, PD Yerbury;
(sitting) JK Footner, RW Morgan.
CHESS, May 1963, p189-190 gives all seven game scores.
[CHESS, March 1963, p177] "Cambridge won the toss for the first time in five years. Oxford now lead 41.5-39.5 (plus 2.5-1.5 in unofficial wartime matches) in the series which started in 1873. Of the sixteen players this year, only two hailed from south of Birmingham."
[The Times, 25 March 1963, p8 - unaccredited]"Oxford University beat Cambridge University by the odd game in their annual seven-a-side chess match which was played in London on Saturday. The result remained in doubt until the conclusion of the last game to finish, which the Oxford player Yerbury won in 41 moves after a lively and imaginative struggle to give Oxford victory by four points to three. Tne Oxford success for the second year in succession gives them a lead in match points of 40 to 39 in the series*." (* this margin was later revised - see home page for details of overall match scores in a given year)
Ian Christopher Smart - won the 1961 London Boys Under-18 Championship after a play-off with Ronald A Harris. They scored 8½/11 in a field of 69. From Leatherhead, attended Epsom College. Source: CHESS, 9 Feb 1961, Vol.26/379, p181.