Chess - The Scotsman 19/03/2012

THE annual Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge Universities is the world’s oldest chess fixture, going right back to 1853. And the latest in the long-running series, the 130th edition, was won recently by Cambridge.

Personally speaking, when it comes to Varsity Matches I subscribe to the view of TV and radio personality Danny Baker on the much-vaunted Boat Race, that it was as if the Cup Final was between the same two teams every year. So you’ll excuse that I gloss over what actually happened between Oxford and Cambridge to concentrate on the news that Edinburgh have been crowned the 2012 British Universities Chess Association Champions.

Edinburgh (Adam Bremner, Gabriel Petesch, Boris Mitrovic and Clement Sreeves) won the title for the first time since 1980, and for only the second time ever. The five-round contest was held late last month at the De Vere Hotel in High Wycombe, with Edinburgh beating Cambridge in the decisive final round match-up to secure the title.

Final standings (with match points and game points): 1. Edinburgh, 9/15.5; 2. Warwick I, 8/13.5; 3. York, 7/13.5; 4. Cambridge I, 7/12.5; 5. Southampton I, 7/12; 6. BPP, 6/12; 7. Oxford, 6-11; 8. Bristol I, 5/11.5; 9. Cambridge II, 5/10.5; 10. Swansea, 5/10; 11. Bath, 5/10; 12. Durham, 5/8.5; 13. LSE, 5/8.5; 14. Imperial, 4/10.5; 15. Warwick II, 4/8.5; 16. UCL, 4/8.5; 17. Bristol II, 3/9; 18. Nottingham, 3/6.5; 19. Southampton II, 2/8.

I Iyengar (Cambridge) – C Sreeves (Edinburgh)

BUCA Ch., (5.4) King’s Indian Def, Panno variation

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 c4 Bg7 4 g3 0–0 5 Bg2 d6 6 0–0 Nc6 7 Nc3 Rb8 8 d5 Na5 9 Nd2 c5 10 Rb1 a6 11 b3 b5 12 Bb2 e5 13 dxe6 Bxe6 14 Nd5 bxc4 15 bxc4 Rxb2 16 Rxb2 Nxd5 17 cxd5 Bxb2 18 dxe6 fxe6 19 Ne4 Be5 20 e3 Nc4 21 Qg4 Re8 22 Ng5 d5 23 Nxe6 Qd7 24 Bh3 Qd6 25 Rc1 Bb2 26 Rc2 Bf6 27 Nf4 Ne5 28 Qd1 d4! 29 exd4 cxd4 30 Nd3 Nxd3 31 Qxd3 Re1+ 32 Kg2 Qd5+ 33 Qf3 Rg1+ 34 Kxg1 Qxf3 35 Rd2 Qc3 36 Be6+ Kg7 37 Rd1 d3 38 Kg2 Qc6+ 0–1