The boat race for the brain, as it has become known, took place at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London last Saturday. The 133rd Oxford v Cambridge Varsity chess match was generously hosted by Henry Mutkin, the life president of the club, and the club itself, represented by their new chess circle chairman, Stephen Meyler. Among the chess experts present were grandmasters Luke McShane, Michael Stean, Jon Speelman and Julian Hodgson, while the wider world of chess enthusiasts included Tony Buzan of mind-mapping fame, Daniel Johnson, editor of Standpoint magazine, and Barry Martin, former vice president and captain of the Chelsea Arts Club chess team.
In spite of being heavy favourites and establishing a clear early lead, Cambridge collapsed in the final two games to draw the match. The theme this week is backwards moves of a decisive nature. Reculer pour mieux sauter as the Polish grandmaster Tartakower was wont to say. The two crucial Oxford victories came in heavy piece endgames. As Alexander Alekhine pointed out, in such endings with queens and rooks on the board, the paramount factor tends to be king safety, rather than pawn structure or material advantage. Both Oxford players exploited this maxim to great advantage.
Zhou (Churchill, Cambridge)-Zakarian (St Anthony’s, Oxford): Varsity Match RAC, London 2015 (see diagram 1)
Black’s next move is quite possibly the most devastating retreat I have ever seen. The double attack against White’s rook and the white king is utterly decisive, even though the variations which follow are complex. 53 … Qe8 54 Rd4 Qh5+ 55 Rh4 Qd1 This threatens 56 … Rc2. 56 Kh3 Qh1+ 57 Kg4 If 57 Qh2 then 57 … Qf3, planning 58 … Rh1 is decisive. 57 … Rc4+ 58 Kh5 Qd1+ 59 g4 59 Kg6 is met by the brilliant 59 … Qd7 60 Rxc4 Qf7+ 61 Kxh6 Qh7 mate.
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