Varsity Match 2023

[Geoff Chandler]

HI,

I thought I'd check out the May 1983 BCM. it has a picture from the Varsity Match on the cover. See below (and yes on page 199 they have the colours wrong on the Ivell - Regan game.)



The coincidence being myself and Ian Mullen have an article inside the same magazine on the Edinburgh -London match and just a few days ago I was asked about it on chessgames.com.

Also coincidental...No Russians at Wijk ann Zee in 1983...Balashov, Psakhis and Tal were not allowed to play because Korchnoi was playing.

There is a mini review (page 208 ) of a book called: 'Queens Gambit' by Walter Tevis. It mentions a few technical inaccuracies adding the definitive novel on chess has yet to be written.

[Nick Ivell]

I probably saw that mistake (being a subscriber at the time) but chose not to tell them about it!

[John Upham]

With much regret I have been forced to withdraw from photographing the 2023 match.

I badly sprained my left foot playing table tennis and getting from Farnborough, Hampshire to The RAC Club in Pall Mall on Saturday is going to be nigh on impossible.

If anyone else could cover the match I'd be most grateful. John Saunders is out of the country otherwise we'd both have been there for a jolly good chin wag.

If you can help then I can put you in touch with Stephen Meyler.

Most regrettable and my hitherto successful TT season has probably come to a painful end.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I hope someone steps forward, as it is important to document these long-running events.

You might want to re-post the request under a new thread with a title making clear that you are looking for someone to take photographs. You might get more repsonses that way.

I would offer myself, but I am not sure I would be able to be there (I did attend one of the Varsity matches as a spectator, the one in 1998 I think).

(Hope the injury gets better soon, John!)

[Angus French]

Will Ray Keene be attending?

[Geoff Chandler]

How on earth can you sprain you ankle playing ping-pong. Were you on the table trying to jump over the net after you won.

Surely one of the readers here in the London area can go along to capture a few moments. West Ham are playing away this Saturday. Lend your camera to a West Ham fan, you will have to show them how it works.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Lacking any other update, here is what Leonard Barden said in his FT column:

https://www.ft.com/content/b7603b54-c5c ... 357c2d61f0

On the same day as Cox’s attacking surge, there was another notable attacking game, which won the brilliancy prize in the annual Oxford v Cambridge varsity match at the RAC, Pall Mall, London, where a 4-4 draw left Cambridge two ahead in the historic series begun in 1873.

The further commentary by Leonard and the game itself (with "mate on the board") is worth reading and playing through.

(I can't get hold of the game itself right now, but maybe someone would be kind enough to post it?)

[Ian Thompson]

Lacking any other update

The results can be seen on the ECF grading website.

[Leonard Barden]

(I can't get hold of the game itself right now, but maybe someone would be kind enough to post it?)

There is a link to the game moves in the article above, just click on lethal threat.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Thanks, Ian. And thanks for pointing out the link Leonard (I missed that first time round).

From chess24.com, the Gallagher-French game:

[Event "Oxford vs. Cambridge Varsity Match"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2023.03.04"] [Round "1"] [White "Gallagher, Daniel GH"] [Black "French, Max"] [Result "1-0"] [Board "4"] [WhiteElo "2218"] [WhiteCountry "ENG"] [WhiteFideId "436550"] [WhiteEloChange "10"] [BlackElo "2226"] [BlackCountry "ENG"] [BlackFideId "426652"] [BlackEloChange "-10"] 1. e4 {[%clk 1:59:53]} c6 {[%clk 1:59:31]} 2. d4 {[%clk 1:59:36]} d5 {[%clk 1:59:22]} 3. f3 {[%clk 1:59:29]} e6 {[%clk 1:58:23]} 4. Nc3 {[%clk 1:59:23]} Nf6 {[%clk 1:55:24]} 5. e5 {[%clk 1:59:16]} Nfd7 {[%clk 1:54:25]} 6. f4 {[%clk 1:59:10]} c5 {[%clk 1:52:17]} 7. Nf3 {[%clk 1:58:59]} Nc6 {[%clk 1:50:28]} 8. Be3 {[%clk 1:58:52]} cxd4 {[%clk 1:31:07]} 9. Nxd4 {[%clk 1:58:44]} Nxd4 {[%clk 1:30:26]} 10. Bxd4 {[%clk 1:57:44]} Be7 {[%clk 1:27:53]} 11. Qg4 {[%clk 1:55:52]} g6 {[%clk 1:25:41]} 12. O-O-O {[%clk 1:50:47]} Nb6 {[%clk 1:21:35]} 13. h4 {[%clk 1:40:24]} Bd7 {[%clk 1:04:02]} 14. h5 {[%clk 1:35:15]} Rf8 {[%clk 0:59:06]} 15. hxg6 {[%clk 1:33:41]} hxg6 {[%clk 0:58:31]} 16. Rh7 {[%clk 1:15:32]} Qc7 {[%clk 0:35:31]} 17. Bd3 {[%clk 1:13:02]} Bc5 {[%clk 0:28:40]} 18. Bxg6 {[%clk 1:05:51]} Bxd4 {[%clk 0:22:11]} 19. Bxf7+ {[%clk 1:01:55]} Rxf7 {[%clk 0:21:23]} 20. Rh8+ {[%clk 1:01:07]} Rf8 {[%clk 0:21:16]} 21. Qg6+ {[%clk 1:00:50]} Ke7 {[%clk 0:20:11]} 22. Qg7+ {[%clk 1:00:33]} Rf7 {[%clk 0:20:04]} 23. Qg5+ {[%clk 1:00:28]} 1-0