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Event: 67th Varsity Match • Venue: Stock Exchange Chess Club, Talbot Restaurant, London Wall • Date: 19 March 1949
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The 67th Varsity Chess Match between Oxford University and Cambridge University was held at Stock Exchange Chess Club, Talbot Restaurant, London Wall (12 noon to 6pm) on 19 March 1949. Four game scores from this match are available (boards 1, 3, 6 and 7, though boards 1 and 7 are only part-games).
| 1948« 1949 Varsity Chess Match »1950 | ||||
| Bd | Oxford University | 1949 | Cambridge University | Opening, No. of Moves |
| 1b | Alan Fraser Truscott (Magdalen) | 1-0 | Henry Peter Francis Swinnerton-Dyer (Trinity) | King's Indian Def |
| 2w | Dennis Morton Horne (Oriel) | 1-0 | Abraham Verhoeff (Fitzwilliam House) | French |
| 3b | John Edward Pike (Exeter) | 0-1 | Ernst Robert Reifenberg (Trinity) | Two Knights' Def |
| 4w | Lionel Lewis (Merton) | 1-0 | George Spencer Brown (Trinity) | Grunfeld |
| 5b | John Bradbury Sykes (Balliol) | 1-0 | John Frederick Barrett (Pembroke) | Ruy Lopez |
| 6w | John Anthony Wall (Balliol) | 1-0 | Roger John Tayler (Clare) | King's Indian Def |
| 7b | Terence Colin Granville Jones (Wadham) | 1-0 | Noel Ernest Ackroyd Moore (Caius) | King's Indian Def |
| 6-1 |
Sources: Oxford-Cambridge Chess Matches (1873-1987), compiled by Jeremy Gaige, Philadelphia 1987; The Times, 21 March 1949; BCM, May 1949, p146; CHESS, May 1949, p186; London Chess Bulletin, Vo.1 No.8, 22 April 1949, etc.
Notes
Venue: Stock Exchange Chess Club, Talbot Restaurant, London Wall (12 noon to 6pm).
[The Times, 21 March 1949, p2] "UNIVERSITY CHESS - EASY WIN BY OXFORD - FROM OUR CHESS CORRESPONDENT - Oxford University played their annual match against Cambridge University on Saturday at the Stock Exchange Chess Club in London and routed their opponents by the striking score of 6-1. There was not a single draw, but three of the games were unfinished when time was called and were adjudicated by Sir George Thomas. On the first board Truscott chose a hazardous continuation of the King’s Indian Defence and might well have got into distinct trouble. But Swinnerton-Dyer overlooked the best move, came down to a drawn ending, and then misplayed it through a faulty desire to achieve a win. On the next board Horne always held the advantage against Verhoeff. In his play against the French Defence he rapidly built up a strong king side attack which led to the gain of several pawns. Reifenberg played a nice attacking game against Pike and won a piece in the middle game. This was adjudicated a win for him but the result was beyond any doubt long before the finish of play. The fourth and fifth boards, however, gave the adjudicator considerably more trouble. Lewis won a pawn in the middle game and came down to a difficult bishop and pawn ending which would have needed much care to win. A few weak moves towards the end by Brown sealed the fate of this game in Oxford’s favour. On the fifth board Barrett had the better of the opening against Sykes and had established what looked like a clearly won game. Both players were afflicted by time trouble and in the scramble that ensued Barrett lost the exchange. He obtained a passed pawn in return but this was not deemed sufficient compensation by the adjudicator. Tayler was no match at all for Wall, who won a bright little game in excellent style. Jones sacrificed the exchange against Moore to obtain a fierce attack. Moore repelled the attack, but soon afterwards contrived to get his queen trapped and could find nothing better than to surrender this piece in exchange for a knight. The results were:— [as above - no game scores]
[Manchester Guardian, 21 March 1949, p6] "OXFORD RETAINS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP - Oxford defeated Cambridge by six games to one in the inter-university chess match which was played on Saturday. Having previously beaten London University by seven games to three, Oxford retains the championship of the Southern Universities' Association."
[BCM, May 1949, p146] "The University match ended in an easy win for Oxford. The games on boards 3, 4 and 5 were adjudicated by Sir George Thomas."
The photo (above) of Swinnerton-Dyer (White) versus Truscott shows the position on the board, with Black to move, as follows:
So we can speculate the game began thus: 1 e4 g6 2 d4 Bg7 3 c3 d6 4 g3 Nf6 5 Bg2 0-0 6 Ne2 e5 7 Qc2 Qe7 8 0-0...
Ernst Reifenberg has White vs John Edward Pike. The player sitting next to
Reifenberg is George Spencer-Brown (ID confirmed by Leonard Barden, 2020)
(photo from the London Chess Bulletin, Vol.1, No.8, 22 April 1949 & also the Midland Chess Bulletin, Vol.1, No.11, 16 April 1949)
"A surprise collapse after the tea interval (when all looked fairly even) wrecked Cambridge's hopes this year in the inter-'varsity match" (CHESS, May 1949, p186)
[Midland Chess Bulletin, 2 Apr 1949] Oxford beat Cambridge - MIDLAND PLAYERS DO WELL IN 'VARSITY WEEK - This year's week commenced on March 14th, following the "warming-up" match reported in our last issue. Matches were played with a number of London clubs by the combined team which, during the week, had the assistance of a number of past "blues." A summary of the results shows that university chess is of very high standard, for the opposition was very strong in all the matches.
Monday March 14th: Metropolitan C.C. 10, Combined Universities 10
| Bd | Oxford and Cambridge Universities | 1949.03.14 | Metropolitan CC |
| 1 | Alan Fraser Truscott (Magdalen, Oxford) | ½-½ | David Miller |
| 2 | John Harwood (Queens', Cambridge) | 0-1 | John Matthias Bee (St Catharine's, Cambridge) |
| 3 | John Edward Pike (Exeter, Oxford) | ½-½ | James Gilchrist |
| 4 | Ernst Robert Reifenberg (Trinity, Cambridge) | 1-0 | Abram Bernfield |
| 5 | W H Richards § | 0-1 | Arthur Henry Trott |
| 6 | Abraham Verhoeff (Fitzwilliam House, Cambridge) | 1-0 | M Shanson |
| 7 | Lionel Lewis (Merton, Oxford) | 0-1 | Jack Jean Moore |
| 8 | John Frederick Barrett (Pembroke, Cambridge) | 1-0 | S Lathey |
| 9 | David Malet Armstrong (Exeter, Oxford) | ½-½ | John Robert Gilbert (St Catharine's, Cambridge) |
| 10 | Rev. William Rawson Greenhalgh (Pembroke, Cambridge) | ½-½ | R P Rickard |
| 11 | William Ernest Baker Pryer (Pembroke, Oxford) | ½-½ | R D Jackson |
| 12 | Roger John Tayler (Clare, Cambridge) | 1-0 | David le Brun Jones (Trinity, Oxford) |
| 13 | H R Douglas | 0-1 | Bernard Edward Glaze |
| 14 | Noel Ernest Ackroyd Moore (Caius, Cambridge) | 0-1 | J Goodfellow |
| 15 | Michael James Albery (Exeter, Oxford) | 1-0 | J Nottingham |
| 16 | John Rycroft Coward (Caius, Cambridge) | ½-½ | W Davidson |
| 17 | Taylor | 0-1 | J H Bennett |
| 18 | R W Payne | ½-½ | S C Hill |
| 19 | W L Howells | 1-0 | J F Tait |
| 20 | M A Jennings | ½-½ | T Breen |
| Drawn | 10-10 | Venue: St Brides |
§ I'm wondering if this is a slight typo for W E C Richards – William Edward Cole Richards (1907–14 April 1989) whom I believe was at Hertford College, Oxford, though he never appeared in a Varsity match. He worked at the Patent Office and represented them in the Civil Service League. He was also a member of the Harrow CC and played county chess for Surrey.
Tuesday March 15th: Hampstead C.C. 6, Combined Universities 13.
| Bd | Oxford and Cambridge Universities | 1949.03.15 | Hampstead CC |
| 1 | John W Cornforth (St Catherine's, Oxford) | 1-0 | Prof. David Bernard Scott (Magdalene, Cambridge) |
| 2 | Alan Fraser Truscott (Magdalen, Oxford) | 1-0 | David Brine Pritchard |
| 3 | Dr Hans Georg Artur Viktor Schenk (Exeter, Oxford) | 1-0 | Heinrich Fraenkel |
| 4 | Henry Peter Francis Swinnerton-Dyer (Trinity, Cambridge) | ½-½ | Eileen Betsy Tranmer |
| 5 | Abraham Verhoeff (Fitzwilliam House, Cambridge) | 1-0 | J A Stewart |
| 6 | John Edward Pike (Exeter, Oxford) | 0-1 | Brian Reilly |
| 7 | John Frederick Barrett (Pembroke, Cambridge) | ½-½ | Ervin Bernard Kraus |
| 8 | Ernst Robert Reifenberg (Trinity, Cambridge) | ½-½ | F Davy |
| 9 | John Robert Gilbert (St Catharine's, Cambridge) | 1-0 | Edith Martha Holloway |
| 10 | Lionel Lewis (Merton, Oxford) | 1-0 | R C Somerville |
| 11 | John Anthony Wall (Balliol, Oxford) | 1-0 | Thomas Ivor Casswell (Pembroke, Oxford) |
| 12 | R W Payne | 0-1 | S T Harwich - probably Simon Ysaye Harwich |
| 13 | H R Douglas | 1-0 | A G Lynch |
| 14 | Roger John Tayler (Clare, Cambridge) | 0-1 | H Hancock |
| 15 | Noel Ernest Ackroyd Moore (Caius, Cambridge) | 0-1 | H B Samuel |
| 16 | John Rycroft Coward (Caius, Cambridge) | 1-0 | G H Slater |
| 17 | W L Howells | 1-0 | George Bowen Quennell |
| 18 | W L Phillips | 1-0 | A Miodownik |
| 19 | M A Jennings | ½-½ | W B Stewart |
| Won by Combined Universities | 13-6 |
Wednesday March 16th: West London C.C. 9, Combined Universities 11.
| Bd | Oxford and Cambridge Universities | 1949.03.16 | West London CC |
| 1 | Nicholas Anthony Perkins (St John's, Oxford) | ½-½ | Frederick Jackson Camm |
| 2 | Henry Peter Francis Swinnerton-Dyer (Trinity, Cambridge) | ½-½ | Edward Guthlac Sergeant |
| 3 | Lionel Sharples Penrose (St John's, Cambridge) | ½-½ | F Fischer |
| 4 | Abraham Verhoeff (Fitzwilliam House, Cambridge) | 0-1 | M Sutherland |
| 5 | John Edward Pike (Exeter, Oxford) | 1-0 | A Grudniewicz |
| 6 | John Frederick Barrett (Pembroke, Cambridge) | 0-1 | Anthony Rex Blagrove |
| 7 | Ernst Robert Reifenberg (Trinity, Cambridge) | 1-0 | Alfred John Duke |
| 8 | Lionel Lewis (Merton, Oxford) | ½-½ | W Henderson |
| 9 | John Anthony Wall (Balliol, Oxford) | 0-1 | Mary Henniker-Heaton |
| 10 | R W Payne | ½-½ | S Roos |
| 11 | Roger John Tayler (Clare, Cambridge) | ½-½ | R J Mark |
| 12 | H R Douglas | 1-0 | F A Drey |
| 13 | Noel Ernest Ackroyd Moore (Caius, Cambridge) | 1-0 | C T Ley |
| 14 | William Ernest Baker Pryer (Pembroke, Oxford) | 1-0 | D S Spratt |
| 15 | I V Helson | 1-0 | Rev. Kenneth Stuart Procter |
| 16 | John Rycroft Coward (Caius, Cambridge) | 1-0 | A C Hopkinson |
| 17 | W L Phillips | 1-0 | N A C-Poole |
| 18 | C Britton | 0-1 | Jean Craker |
| 19 | W L Howells | 0-1 | C R Rudolf |
| 20 | A Jochel | 0-1 | J Woolf |
| Won by Combined Universities | 11-9 |
Thursday March 17th: Insurance C.C. 7½, Combined Universities 12½.
| Bd | Oxford and Cambridge Universities | 1949.03.17 | Insurance CC |
| 1 | James Macrae Aitken (Balliol, Oxford) | 1-0 | Douglas George Durham |
| 2 | Alan Fraser Truscott (Magdalen, Oxford) | 1-0 | Stephen Harding Crockett |
| 3 | Nicholas Anthony Perkins (St John's, Oxford) | 1-0 | Godfrey C Nurse |
| 4 | Henry Peter Francis Swinnerton-Dyer (Trinity, Cambridge) | ½-½ | J Mason |
| 5 | John Matthias Bee (St Catharine's, Cambridge) | 0-1 | J Talbot |
| 6 | John Edward Pike (Exeter, Oxford) | ½-½ | L C Durham |
| 7 | Abraham Verhoeff (Fitzwilliam House, Cambridge) | 0-1 | (Richard) Nevil Coles |
| 8 | John Frederick Barrett (Pembroke, Cambridge) | ½-½ | A Tooke |
| 9 | John Brown (Sidney Sussex, Cambridge) | 0-1 | Rodney E James |
| 10 | Ernst Robert Reifenberg (Trinity, Cambridge) | 1-0 | W K Murdoch |
| 11 | George Spencer Brown (Trinity, Cambridge) | 1-0 | F Leonard |
| 12 | John Bradbury Sykes (Balliol, Oxford) | 0-1 | H Hilton |
| 13 | H R Douglas | 1-0 | W Kingston |
| 14 | Michael James Albery (Exeter, Oxford) | 1-0 | C E Bourne |
| 15 | David le Brun Jones (Trinity, Oxford) | 1-0 | C F Ratcliff |
| 16 | John Robert Gilbert (St Catharine's, Cambridge) | 1-0 | R W Williams |
| 17 | John Anthony Wall (Balliol, Oxford) | 1-0 | C J Leeder |
| 18 | W L Howells | ½-½ | C S Frost |
| 19 | Rev. William Rawson Greenhalgh (Pembroke, Cambridge) | ½-½ | S J Briggs |
| 20 | A Jochel | 0-1 | C H Wilmot |
| Won by Combined Universities | 12½-7½ |
A curious position arose on Board No. 4 [of the Insurance vs Combined Universities match], where Swinnerton-Dyer, although a whole piece to the bad offered his opponent a draw. This was indignantly refused at first, but after a further study of the position White finally agreed.
White: Mason (Insurance, to play) Black: Swinnerton-Dyer (Combined Universities)
wKf3,Ba3,Pb5,d4,e5,f4,g3,h4/bKc8,Pb6,c7,d5,f5,f7,g7,h5
White's Bishop is quite powerless to do any useful work and his King has no point at which he can force an entry. The attempt by 1 g4, and if 1...hxg4+ 2 Kg3 g6 3 h5, or if 1...fxg4+ 2 Kg3 g6 3 f5, etc, is rendered quite valueless by the much stronger reply 1...g6! when the blockade remains complete.
Board 1 of the same match...
Friday March 18th: Civil Service 10½ Combined Universities 9½.
| Bd | Oxford and Cambridge Universities | 1949.03.18 | Civil Service |
| 1 | John W Cornforth (St Catherine's, Oxford) | 1-0 | Reginald J Broadbent |
| 2 | Nicholas Anthony Perkins (St John's, Oxford) | 1-0 | Edward Guthlac Sergeant |
| 3 | Henry Peter Francis Swinnerton-Dyer (Trinity, Cambridge) | 0-1 | Dr Irving John Good (Jesus, Cambridge) |
| 4 | John Frederick Barrett (Pembroke, Cambridge) | 1d | Default |
| 5 | A Armstrong | ½-½ | Bernard Henry Newman Stronach |
| 6 | W Richards | ½-½ | David le Brun Jones (Trinity, Oxford) |
| 7 | Harry Frederick Moxon (Lincoln, Oxford) | ½-½ | D J Cooper |
| 8 | John Robert Gilbert (St Catharine's, Cambridge) | 0-1 | Jeffrey Ansell |
| 9 | Abraham Verhoeff (Fitzwilliam House, Cambridge) | 0-1 | W H Law |
| 10 | John Brown (Sidney Sussex, Cambridge) | 0-1 | J Rowbotham |
| 11 | William Ernest Baker Pryer (Pembroke, Oxford) | 1-0 | WJ Gillies |
| 12 | Michael James Albery (Exeter, Oxford) | ½-½ | R F Wright |
| 13 | John Bradbury Sykes (Balliol, Oxford) | 0-1 | S G Hill |
| 14 | K Matthews | adjudicated | Jean Craker |
| 15 | Terence Colin Granville Jones (Wadham, Oxford) | 0-1 | Edward Cecil Baker |
| 16 | H R Douglas | 0-1 | G Ashby |
| 17 | Noel Ernest Ackroyd Moore (Caius, Cambridge) | 1-0 | V H Norman |
| 18 | R W Payne | 1-0 | J G Buckle |
| 19 | N L Philip | ½-½ | L Stephens |
| 20 | M A Jennings | 0-1 | K Keeble |
| 21 | Roger John Tayler (Clare, Cambridge) | 1-0 | W R Joslin |
| Won by Combined Universities | 9½-10½ |
In the last match there is one game remaining for adjudication.
THE INTER-VARSITY MATCH The Oxford and Cambridge teams lined up on the last day of the week for the annual battle of the Blues with Cambridge two matches ahead on the series (29-27 with 8 drawn) and determined to wipe out their heavy defeat of last year when they lost 5½-1½. Play was from 12 noon to 6 p.m. at the Talbot Restaurant, London Wall. The lists had a strong West Midland flavour, for on the Oxford side T. C. G. Jones (former Bishop Vesey G.S. and Sutton Coldfield player), Lionel Lewis (late K.E.H.S.), and J. Wall (Worcs. College for the Blind) were all among the chosen, whilst R. J. Tayler (Solihull School and Mutual C.C.) had won his way into the Cambridge team.
On the top board Swinnerton-Dyer had every chance of beating Truscott, who took some risks with the black pieces. Instead of consolidating he allowed Black too much counter-play and later threw away the draw by trying to play for a win without justification. Horne soon had Verhoeff in trouble and never gave him a chance to gain his second wind. At tea-time it still looked like proving a very close match, for Reifenberg, Barrett and Moore all had promising positions to counter-balance the expected losses of Verhoeff and Tayler, but then had a bad crack came. Brown threw away the draw after playing solidly for a long time. Barrett let his chance slip in time trouble and lost the exchange for a pawn, and Moore actually managed to lose from the following position:
White: Moore Black: Jones
wKg1,Qh4,Bg5,Rd7,f1,Pa2,c4,f2,g3,h3/bKg8,Qa8,Ne8,Bb2,Rf8,Pa7,b6,c5,e6,f5,g6,h7
Black played 22...h5 and the game continued: 23 Rfd1 Nf6 24 Re7 (Much sounder was 24 R7d33, threatening Qf4, and White would dominate the position) Qf3! (With threats of ...Bd4 and ...Ne4 which gives White plenty to worry about) 25 Re1 (25 Rf1 seems better) Ne4 26 Be3? (Completely overlooking the devastating reply) g5 and White could do nothing but give up his Queen. Who was it who said a game is never lost until it is won? In the end, with the adjudications going in Oxford's favour, Reifenberg was left the only Light Blue survivor. R. J. Tayler had had quite a successful week in the earlier matches, but he caught a tartar when he tried his luck against the Worcester player. [end]
[Illustrated London News, 7 May 1949, p30 - BH Wood commentary] Cambridge’s heavy loss this year was no reflection upon their President, Peter Swinnerton-Dyer, some of whose efforts for his players he confided to me a few weeks ago. The New Zealand master, R. G. Wade, was invited to coach them, and an unusually hard programme of matches against Essex, Suffolk, Warwickshire, Insurance and other associations was arranged to "toughen" them. Oxford had too many "big guns," however. A. F. Truscott and D. M. Horne, whilst in the Navy and Army respectively, developed to master-strength. Truscott reached the finals of the London Championship as long ago as 1945, and Horne nearly beat Dr. Euwe at Plymouth last year."
Oxford Past vs Cambridge Past, 26 March 1949, St. Bride's Institute, London
| Bd | Oxford University Past | 1949 | Cambridge University Past | Opening |
| 1w | Dr James Macrae Aitken (Balliol) | ½-½ | William Winter (Clare) | French |
| 2b | Theodore Henry Tylor (Balliol) | 0-1 | P Stuart Milner-Barry (Trinity) | Vienna Game |
| 3w | Richard Hilary Newman (Worcester) | ½-½ | C Hugh O'D Alexander (King's) | QP Old Indian |
| 4b | Alfred William Bowen (Oriel) | ½-½ | John Matthias Bee (St Catharine's) | Sicilian |
| 5w | John W Cornforth (St Catherine's) | 1-0 | Eugene Ernest Colman (Trinity) | English |
| 6b | William Ernest Baker Pryer (Pembroke) | ½-½ | Roland Hartnett (Downing) | Ruy Lopez |
| 7w | Alfred Rupert Neale Cross (Worcester) | 1-0 | Lionel Sharples Penrose (St John's) | King's Indian Def |
| 8b | George Shorrock Ashcombe Wheatcroft (New) | 0-1 | John David Solomon (Downing) | Sicilian |
| 9w | Graham Powell Britton (Jesus) | ½-½ | John Robert Gilbert (St Catharine's) | Giuoco Piano |
| 10b | John Montgomerie (Corpus Christi) | 1-0 | Mervyn Edward Wise (Pembroke) | Scotch Gambit |
| 11w | Dermot Michael Macgregor Morrah (New) | 1-0 | Eric Augustus Coad-Pryor (Trinity) | QGD Slav |
| 12b | Napier Baliol-Scott (Christ Church) ** | 0-1 | John Dean (St Catharine's) | QGD Semi-Slav |
| 6½-5½ |
Source: BCM, May 1949, p147
** BCM gives "D B Scott" which suggests David Bernard Scott (originally Schultz)... but for the fact that Scott/Schultz was at Cambridge! (He played for Cambridge in the 1936, 1937 and 1938 matches.) It was an editorial error for N.Baliol-Scott who was an Oxford man who also played in the 'Past' match. Another factor is that DB Scott was arguably too strong to have played below Morrah in the board order. The Times confirms this, giving the full name (though mispelt) "N. Balliol-Scott (Ch. Ch.)".
[The Times, 28 March 1949, p6] "CHESS - OXFORD WIN AFTER CLOSE STRUGGLE - FROM OUR CHESS CORRESPONDENT - Oxford University Past played their annual match against Cambridge University Past at St. Bride’s Institute, London, on Saturday [26 March 1949] and won, after a very close struggle, by 6½-5½. At one time it looked as though Oxford would win easily since they were leading with the score of 3½-½, but Cambridge fought back hard and eventually the decision rested on the unfinished game between Cross and Professor Penrose on board 7. This was adjudicated a win for Oxford, thus giving them the match. On board 1 Dr. Aitken obtained some pressure out of the opening against Winter but Black countered well in the middle game and the ending was clearly drawn. Milner-Barry won by an excellent King side attack on the second board, but was aided by a blunder on Tylor’s part towards the end of the game. On the next board early exchange of queens led to a certain draw. Of the other games the most interesting were those on boards 7 and 10. On board 7 Cross won his opponent’s queen for rook and bishop and played very cleverly to exploit this advantage. Board 10 was a wild game of fierce attacks and counter-attacks, with Black having the last word. Detailed results:— [as above] Oxford had White on the odd-numbered boards."
File Updated
| Date | Notes |
| 2019 | Initial upload |
| 29 February 2020 | Added BH Wood comments from the ILN. |
| 20 November 2020 | Added biographical commentary supplied by Leonard Barden, for which many thanks. |