THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

London, England

3 April 1897

(page 7)

LONDON DAY BY DAY.

The twenty-fifth annual contest between two teams of chess players from the Universities took place yesterday at the British Chess Club. In the Inter-university match the competitors are understood to include only present members of the Universities, thus several past members who have been assisting the above teams in their meetings with other clubs during the week did not take part in this match. Play was begun at two o’clock on seven boards. The contest between the two leaders was the first one concluded. Mr. Spencer Churchill (Oxford) had the move, and maintained a slight advantage throughout. He finally secured a victory from his opponent, Mr. E. A. Crowley (Cambridge). The next game also resulted in a win for the Oxonians, Mr. E. Lawson defeating Mr. Naish. Though Oxford thus secured a lead of two points, Cambridge were not at all disheartened, and, playing up boldly, scored the next two points, Mr. M’Lean, at Board 5, winning a good game, after having stood the brunt of an Evan’s Gambit, which his opponent adopted, and the second point was scored at Board No. 4, Mr. Tattersall beating Mr. Fraser. These two games were the only ones on which Cambridge secured the victory, the contests at boards Nos. 3 and 7 resulting in draws, and though the Cantabs fought hard to keep on even terms, they were unable to avoid defeat at board No. 6, Mr. Stoker (Oxford) beating Mr. Stainer (Cambridge). Thus Oxford won by the odd game, curiously enough with an exactly similar score to the 1896 match. Since the first of the annual contests, in 1873, Cambridge have won the majority by close on two to one, the respective wins at present being: Cambridge fifteen; Oxford, nine and one drawn.