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Tournament: 106th Varsity Match • Venue: RAC Club, Pall Mall, London • Date: 6 March 1988
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Thursday November 5, 2026 7:07 PM
The 106th Varsity Chess Match between Oxford University and Cambridge University was held at the RAC Club, Pall Mall, London on 6 March 1988. The sponsors were Lloyds Bank. Only two game scores available (boards 3 and 5) - can anyone supply other scores?
| 1987« 1988 Varsity Chess Match »1989 | |||||||
| Bd | Oxford University | Fed | Rating | 1988 | Cambridge University | Fed | Rating |
| 1b | Peter Kenneth Wells (Jesus / Nuffield) | ENG | 2410m | 1-0 | D Harsha Aturupane (Trinity) | SRI | 2385f |
| 2w | David Douglas Alex'r Lawson (Trinity) | SCO | (192) | ½-½ | Jeremy P Sharp (Downing) | ENG | (199) |
| 3b | Martin Luke Hazelton (St Anne's) | ENG | 2230 | 1-0 | David John Watts (Sidney Sussex) | ENG | 2270 |
| 4w | Frank van Hasselt (New) | HKG | 2205 | ½-½ | Andrew David Harley (Selwyn) | ENG | 2245 |
| 5b | Julian Michael Way (Keble) | ENG | (188) | 0-1 | Sukh David Singh (Queens') | ENG | (206) |
| 6w | Neil David Crabb (St Edmund Hall) | ENG | (187) | 0-1 | Graham Kenneth Burgess (Downing) | ENG | 2280 |
| 7b | Tom J Brown (Queen's) | (183) | 1-0 | Gerard Francis Thompson (Trinity) | (171) | ||
| 8w | Jane Sarah Riley (St Hugh's) | (113) | ½-½ | Alison Margaret Franklin (later Bexfield) (Downing) | (136) | ||
| 4½-3½ | |||||||
Notes
Best game prizes went to Hazelton of Oxford and Singh of Cambridge.
Sources: BCM, April 1988, p161-2; games in BCM, May 1988, p217; The Independent, 7 March 1988.
Oxford's 8th win in a row. 1st decisive game came after 4 hrs 40 mins of play on board 3, followed by an Oxford win on top board after another 5 mins. Time control: 45/2hrs 30mins, 20/15mins, remaining/10mins.
Notes: BCM spelling GF Thomson, but Gerard F Thompson given in 1989 BCF Grading List.
David Lawson switched from Cambridge to Oxford this year.
Peter Wells's college given as Nuffield in the Spectator but he had previously been at Jesus College.
The Independent, 7 March 1988
"Oxford's Narrow Win— Three grandmasters and four international masters turned up at the RAC Club in Pall Mall on Saturday for the 106th annual Varsity chess match (Bill Hartston writes).
"Cambridge began as favourites to end a recent long run of Oxford successes, and the early play appeared to support this prediction. As play proceeded, however, the Cambridge advantages seemed to melt away into draws, while the Oxford players made better use of superior positions.
"The crucial results cam after four hours' play. Jane Riley (St Hugh's) had seemed to be heading for defeat after an early oversight against Alison Franklin (Downing) on the women's board, but determined resistance finally earned her the draw which gave Oxford a narrow victory, their eighth in a row, by 4½ to 3½.
"Cambridge still cling to their overall lead, with 45 wins to 44 and 17 draws."
File Updated
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Original upload |
| 5 November 2006 | Added the report from The Independent. Many thanks to Jane Riley for sending the press cutting. |