Oxford University Chess Club

The Oxford University Chess Club (OUCC) was founded at the University of Oxford in 1869.[1] It is the oldest university chess club in the United Kingdom.[1] The Club meets each Wednesday evening during University term time. They field two teams in the Oxfordshire Chess League.[2]

Oxford University Chess Club
Formation1869
Location
Websitehttps://oxfordunichess.vercel.app/

Foundation

On the day of the foundation of OUCC, the minutes book recorded:[3]

April 30th, [1869] – This day is memorable as being the date of the foundation of the Club, which was started under the auspices of the Reverend C. E. Ranken, of Wadham College, who was chosen as the first President. E. F. Linton, University, was elected Treasurer, and W. Braithwaite, Wadham, Secretary. A code of rules was drawn up, and the Club, having received its constitution, entered upon what we trust will prove to be a long and glorious career. No less than one hundred and three names were entered upon the first list of members. Amongst others were those of Lord Randolph Churchill, Merton, E. Anthony, Christ Church ("one of the best pupils Steinitz turned out"), E.W.B. Nicholson, Trinity, the present Bodleian Librarian, Lord Garvagh, Canon Grey, Christ Church &c., &c. The meetings were held weekly on Wednesdays, and the early members appear to have been more desirous of playing one another than of engaging in foreign matches.

Prince Leopold, later Duke of Albany (1853–1884) (and son of Queen Victoria) was President of OUCC in 1875.

Varsity match

The annual Varsity Match against Cambridge University was originally suggested by Howard Staunton in 1853.[1] It has been held annually since 1873[4][5] and is the oldest fixture on the chess calendar.[1] Edwin Anthony, then President of the Club, and Wilhelm Steinitz were responsible for establishing the match.[6]

With a twenty-year perspective on the matches, Henry Bird wrote that the greatest of the matches were the first two, held in 1873 and 1874 at the City of London Chess Club, City Restaurant (Perrott's), 34 Milk-street, Cheapside.[7] The first match was said to have had 600 to 800 spectators and the second no fewer than 700, thought to be record attendance at any chess tournament up to that time. Each team consisted of seven players, and sand glasses were used to time some of the games at the limit of 20 moves per hour. Oxford won the first year, and Cambridge the second.

The 1874 match was attended by nearly every London chess luminary of the time, including Howard Staunton, Wilhelm Steinitz (officiated as an umpire), Johann Löwenthal, Bernhard Horwitz, Johannes Zukertort, Henry Bird, Joseph Henry Blackburne, Cecil Valentine De Vere, George Alcock MacDonnell, Samuel Boden, Patrick Thomas Duffy, Adolf Zytogorski, John Wisker, and others. In addition to the university match, the event included two exhibitions. Zukertort played six blindfold games (+2−1=3) and Blackburne played a seven-board simultaneous exhibition with fresh opponents starting on the boards as the games finished for a total of 20 games (+17−3=0).[8]

Oxford won the 2011 match, the 129th official contest, 4.5-3.5 to bring the overall score to Cambridge 66 Oxford 63.

Other events
  • On 2 December 1944 a famous 12-board match took place between OUCC and Bletchley Chess Club whose members consisted of the Bletchley Park code-breakers. Bletchley won 8-4 with C.H.O’D. Alexander and Harry Golombek on boards 1 and 2.[9]
  • On 15 February 2004 OUCC beat Wales 6-2.
  • OUCC 1sts won the 2004-05 Oxfordshire Chess League and David Shaw, top board, was awarded the prize for best player with a remarkable 9/10.[10]
  • OUCC 2nds won the 2006-07 Oxfordshire Chess League.[11]
  • On 18 February 2012 OUCC won the 2nds varsity match against Cambridge 5.5-4.5.

Notable games

In 1978 a memorable upset occurred when IM Michael Basman beat Oxford postgraduate GM John Nunn with the Grob.[12][13]

Michael Basman vs. John Nunn, Oxford, 1978

1. g4 d5 2. h3 e5 3. d3 Bd6 4. c4 c6 5. Nc3 Ne7 6. Nf3 h5 7. gxh5 Rxh5 8. Bd2 a6 9. e4 dxc4 10. dxc4 Nd7 11. Ng5 Nf6 12. Qf3 Ng6 13. O-O-O Qe7 14. Kb1 Nf4 15. Rg1 Kf8 16. Ne2 Ne6 17. Nxe6+ Bxe6 18. Ng3 Rh8 19. Bg5 Rd8 20. Be2 Rxh3 21. Qg2 Bc7 22. Nh5 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Rxh5 24. Bxh5 Qb4 25. Be2 Bxc4 26. Bxc4 Qxc4 27. Bxf6 gxf6 28. Qg4 Qe6 29. Qxe6 fxe6 30. Rd7 1-0

Notable members and officers

Notable members

President

First president of the club was founder Rev. Charles E. Ranken. At his peak, he was the 24th best player in the world[14] - a grandmaster by today's standards. The office, which was at first termly, has been annual since 1884.[15]

NameCollegeServed fromReference
Charles RankenWadham30 April 1869[16]
E. AnthonyChrist Church23 March 1870[16]
E.W.B. NicholsonTrinity9 December 1870[16]
C.T. WildChrist Church6 March 1871[16]
R.D.H. GrayBrasenose5 December 1871[16]
W.E. FosterUniversity12 March 1872[16]
Falconer MadanBrasenose4 June 1872[16]
B. WhitefoordNew4 December 1872[16]
J.S. SinclairOriel12 March 1873[16]
S.R. MeredithBrasenose27 May 1873[16]
Walter ParrattMagdalen3 December 1873[16]
Prince LeopoldChrist Church18 March 1874[16]
Horace PlunkettUniversityDecember 1875[16]
C. TraceyLincoln26 October 1876[16]
W. GrundyWorcester14 March 1877[16]
R.A. GermaineBrasenoseDecember 1877[16]
F.M. WrightQueen's1 November 1878[16]
Walter Montague GattieChrist Church5 December 1878[16]
E.H. KinderBrasenose20 March 1879[16]
C. TaylorChrist Church1 December 1879[16]
B.R.V. MillsChrist Church5 March 1880[16]
J.F. WelshChrist Church26 October 1880[16]
C.A. DarleyChrist Church18 March 1881[16]
T.A. WiseLincoln17 June 1881[16]
W.N.P. BeebeTrinity17 March 1882[16]
G.E. WainwrightUniversity9 June 1882[16]
C.C. LynamHertfordSummer 1883[15]
James Manders WalkerWadhamMichaelmas 1883[15]
H. SewardBalliolMidsummer 1884[15]
C.D. LocockUniversityMichaelmas 1884[15]
Richard BarnettWadhamMichaelmas 1885[17]
F.G. NewboltBalliolHilary 1887[17]
W. StoreyChrist ChurchOctober 1887[17]
A.G.G. RossNewMichaelmas 1888[17]
W.M. Le PatourelBalliolOctober 1889[17]
J.F. UreChrist ChurchOctober 1890[17]
F.E. JellyMagdalenOctober 1891[17]
...
Harold DavidsonExeterMichaelmas 1900[17]
...
G. Davies ?Michaelmas 1909[17]
...
Neil CrabbSt Edmund HallTrinity 1987
Mark AddisMansfieldTrinity 1988
Paul MuhkerjeeLady Margaret HallTrinity 1989
Martin HazeltonSt Anne'sTrinity 1990
Mark NightallBrasenoseTrinity 1991
...
Matthew PiperWadham1993
Michael GoughNewTrinity 1994
Shashi JayakumarSt Hugh'sTrinity 1995
Maxim DevereauxBrasenoseTrinity 1996
Ben SavageLady Margaret HallTrinity 1997
Emily HowardLincolnTrinity 1998
Kieran SmallboneNewTrinity 1999
Chris DunsmoreLincolnTrinity 2000
Jon SmithQueen'sTrinity 2001[18]
Richard PalliserWorcesterTrinity 2002[19]
Chris DugganUniversityTrinity 2003[20]
David ShawWorcesterTrinity 2004
Hervé HansenQueen'sTrinity 2005[21]
Marco ZhangSt Hugh'sTrinity 2006[22]
Mike HealeyUniversityTrinity 2007[23]
Yi Ming LaiExeterTrinity 2008[23]
Eoin DevaneMertonTrinity 2009[23]
Stephen BeldingSt John'sTrinity 2010[23]
Erik ThörnbladSt Hugh'sTrinity 2011[23]
David HewittSt Edmund HallTrinity 2012[23]
Sam BenthamChrist ChurchTrinity 2013[23]
Robert CollopyNew CollegeTrinity 2014[23]
Sean LimSt Hilda's CollegeTrinity 2015[23]
David MartinsWorcesterTrinity 2016[23]
Jamie HortonChrist ChurchTrinity 2017[23]
Joris GerlaghUniversityTrinity 2018[23]
Andrew RogozinskiWorcesterTrinity 2019[23]
Aloysius LipChrist ChurchTrinity 2020[23]
Victor VasiesiuHertfordTrinity 2021
Max FrenchWadhamMichaelmas 2022
Tom O'GormanHertfordMichaelmas 2023

Treasurer
NameCollegeServed fromReference
E.F. LintonUniversity30 April 1869[16]
E.L. HollandUniversity8 February 1870[16]
Rev. C. RodwellTrinity23 March 1870[16]
R.D.H. GrayBrasenose9 December 1870[16]
T.C.V. BastowTrinity5 June 1871[16]
Falconer MadanBrasenose12 March 1872[16]
E. Petit JelfChrist Church4 June 1872[16]
J.S. LeadamBrasenose12 March 1873[16]
F.H. WoodsJesus3 May 1873[16]
A.R.C. ConnellTrinity16 December 1874[16]
S.R. MeredithBrasenose14 April 1875[16]
W.P. EmertonChrist ChurchDecember 1875[16]
R.A. GermaineBrasenose26 October 1876[16]
E.J. CrosseExeter4 December 1876[16]
W.M. GattieChrist Church6 June 1877[16]
F.M. WrightQueen's18 March 1878[16]
E.H. KinderBrasenose1 November 1878[16]
C. TaylorChrist Church20 March 1879[16]
B.R.V. MillsChrist Church1 December 1879[16]
J.F. WelshChrist Church5 March 1880[16]
C.A. DarleyChrist Church26 October 1880[16]
C.C. LynamHertford18 March 1881[16]
W.N.P. BeebeTrinity17 June 1881[16]
T.A. WiseLincoln17 March 1882[16]
James Manders WalkerWadhamLent 1883[15]
S. WeallSt. John'sMichaelmas 1883[15]
F. TraceyExeterLent 1884[15]
C.D. LocockUniversityMidsummer 1884[15]
James Manders WalkerWadhamLent 1885[15]
F.G. NewboltBalliolWinter 1885[17]
S.J. BuchananNewLent 1886[17]
F.G. NewboltBalliolMichaelmas 1886[17]
W. StoneyChrist ChurchHilary 1887[17]
A.G.G. RossNewOctober 1887[17]
W.M. Le PatourelBalliolMichaelmas 1888[17]
Frank Edward JellyMagdalenOctober 1889[17]
R.G. GrimleyBalliolOctober 1890[17]
G.G. LynamSt. Catherine'sOctober 1891[17]
...
T.A. StaynesBrasenoseMichaelmas 1920[17]
...
Ian WebsterSt. Anne'sTrinity 2001[18][19]
Simon BreenTrinityTrinity 2003[20]
Ed StembridgeBalliolTrinity 2004
Ed StembridgeBalliolTrinity 2005[21]
Alexander DuttonKebleTrinity 2006[22]
Ed StembridgeBalliolTrinity 2007[23]
Zubin SiganporiaSt Catherine'sTrinity 2008[23]
Kevin Henbest(Unattached)Trinity 2009[23]
Matthew WillsTrinityTrinity 2010[23]
Samuel WoolacottQueen'sTrinity 2011[23]
Erik ThörnbladSt Hugh'sTrinity 2012[23]
Sean LimSt Hilda'sTrinity 2013[23]
Sean LimSt Hilda'sTrinity 2014[23]
Gordon ScottMertonTrinity 2015[23]
Angelos VakalisLincolnTrinity 2016[23]
David MartinsWorcesterTrinity 2017[23]
Alexander HardwickMagdalenTrinity 2018[23]
Aloysius LipChrist ChurchTrinity 2019
Callum EvansSt John's CollegeTrinity 2020
Aditi AgarwalNewTrinity 2021
Ruairi GarrettSt Peter'sMichaelmas 2022
Ashvin SivakumarHarris ManchesterMichaelmas 2023

Secretary
NameCollegeServed fromReference
W. BraithwaiteWadham30 April 1869[16]
W.H. FisherExeter20 October 1869[16]
E. MorganLincoln8 February 1870[16]
E.W.B. NicholsonTrinity23 March 1870[16]
T. ConstableMagdalen9 December 1870[16]
J.T. DoddChrist Church6 March 1871[16]
J.A. CurlingSt. Alban's5 June 1871[16]
Falconer MadanBrasenose5 December 1871[16]
E. Petit JelfChrist Church12 March 1872[16]
J.S. SinclairOriel4 June 1872[16]
S.R. MeredithBrasenose4 December 1872[16]
A.E.P. GrayBrasenose12 March 1873[16]
F.H. WoodsJesus28 May 1873[16]
A.R.C. ConnellTrinity3 December 1873[16]
Horace PlunkettUniversity4 June 1874[16]
W. ParrattMagdalen16 December 1874[16]
A.F. LeupoltBrasenoseDecember 1875[16]
C.L. BrookTrinity15 October 1876[16]
W.M. GattieChrist Church4 December 1876[16]
R.M. LathamExeter6 June 1877[16]
F.M. WrightQueen's8 February 1878[16]
A.S. PercevalTrinity18 March 1878[16]
C. TaylorChrist Church1 November 1878[16]
B.R.V. MillsChrist Church20 March 1879[16]
C. Scott-MaldenTrinity1 December 1879[16]
C.A. DarleyChrist Church8 March 1880[16]
T.A. WiseLincoln26 October 1880[16]
W.N.P. BeebeTrinity18 March 1881[16]
G.E. WainwrightUniversity17 June 1881[16]
J. MoultrieNew17 March 1882[16]
James Manders WalkerWadham21 April 1882[16]
S. WeallSt. John'sLent 1883[15]
S.H. NashBalliolSummer 1883[15]
C.D. LocockUniversityMichaelmas 1883[15]
W.A. ShearerExeterMidsummer 1884[15]
Richard BarnettWadhamLent 1885[15]
S.J. BuchananNewWinter 1885[17]
A. RutherfordBrasenoseLent 1886[17]
S.J. BuchananNewMichaelmas 1886[17]
A.G.G. RossNewHilary 1887[17]
F. TillyardBalliolOctober 1887[17]
E.B. OsborneMagdalenMichaelmas 1888[17]
L.C. CrumpBalliolOctober 1889[17]
F.E. JellyMagdalenOctober 1890[17]
A.B. HindsChrist ChurchOctober 1891[17]
P.W. SergeantTrinityMichaelmas 1892[17]
E.W. PoyntonExeterMichaelmas 1893[17]
E.G. Spencer ChurchillExeterMichaelmas 1895[17]
G. FraserCorpus ChristiMichaelmas 1896[17]
A.H.W. GeorgeNewMichaelmas 1897[17]
Frederick SoddyMertonMichaelmas 1898[17]
Harold DavidsonExeterMichaelmas 1900[17]
A.C. von ErnshausenBalliolMichaelmas 1901[17]
W.N. MacFarlaneUniversityMichaelmas 1904[17]
H.J. RoseBalliolMichaelmas 1905[17]
N.J. RoughtonNewMichaelmas 1906[17]
A.P. WaterfieldChrist ChurchMichaelmas 1908[17]
Ernest Shepherd ?Michaelmas 1909[17]
B.A. BullJesusMichaelmas 1910[17]
G. DaviesPembrokeMichaelmas 1911[17]
P.A. MacMahonHertfordMichaelmas 1914[17]
H.D. WellsPembrokeMichaelmas 1915[17]
C. DuffieldSt. John'sMichaelmas 1916[17]
H.R. BigelowBalliolMichaelmas 1920[17]
W.E.B. PryerPembrokeMichaelmas 1921[17]
G.S.A. WheatcroftNewMichaelmas 1924[17]
K.H. BancroftPembrokeMichaelmas 1926[17]
G. AbrahamWadhamMichaelmas 1927[17]
...
Lucy MartinSomervilleTrinity 1990
Nasir RizviSt Catherine’sMichaelmas 1996
Kieran SmallboneNewTrinity 2001[18][19]
Adam ShardlowUniversityTrinity 2003[20]
Ben KamilBrasenoseTrinity 2004
Ben KamilBrasenoseTrinity 2005[21][22]
Ben KamilBrasenoseTrinity 2007
James WorthenBrasenoseTrinity 2008
Stephen BeldingSt John'sTrinity 2009
Jay UnadkatSt. Anne'sTrinity 2010[2]
Szymon PozimskiSt. Peter'sTrinity 2011[2]
Michael HopkinsLincolnTrinity 2012[2]
David HewittSt Edmund HallTrinity 2013[23]
Hendrick BrackmannnSt Catherine'sTrinity 2014[23]
David MartinsWorcesterTrinity 2015[23]
Daniel SuttonSt John'sTrinity 2016[23]
Daniel SuttonSt John'sTrinity 2017[23]
Andrew RogozinskiWorcesterTrinity 2018[23]
Filip MihovBalliolTrinity 2019
Akshaya KalaiyalahanRegent's ParkTrinity 2020
Akshaya KalaiyalahanRegent's ParkTrinity 2021
Réka SztárayHertfordMichaelmas 2022
Niall ClarkeWorcesterMichaelmas 2023

References
  1. "Varsity Chess History: Oxford vs Cambridge", BritBase: Varsity Chess Match History
  2. Official site
  3. 1869-1885 in The History of the Oxford University Chess Club, James Manders Walker, 1885
  4. "Oxford vs Cambridge vol. 125 – the never ending game", ChessBase, 16 May 2007
  5. ""Cambridge Chess", Richard Geoffrey Eales, ISBN 978-0-903500-24-1
  6. "The Steinitz Papers: Letters and Documents of the First World Chess Champion", William Steinitz and Kurt Landsberger, Page 280
  7. Bird, Henry, Chess History and Reminiscences
  8. Potter, William N., ed. (1875), The City of London Chess Magazine, London: W. W. Morgan, pp. 71–73
  9. CHESS, February 1945, page 73
  10. "2004-05 ODCL" Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Oxfordshire Chess Association
  11. "2006-07 ODCL" Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Oxfordshire Chess Association
  12. Opening Encyclopaedia 2004, ChessBase
  13. Killer Grob, Michael Basman, Pergamon Chess Series, 1991, ISBN 978-0-08-037130-6
  14. Sonas, Chessmetrics Player Profile: Charles Ranken
  15. The History of the Oxford University Chess Club (compiled from the club minute books), J.M. Walker, 1885
  16. Rules of the Oxford University Chess Club (together with a list of officers from its foundation, 30 April 1869), 1883
  17. Miscellaneous papers relating to the Oxford university chess club, c.1870–, Bodleian Library, Oxford
  18. 2001, Archive.org
  19. 2002, Archive.org
  20. website 2003, Archive.org
  21. Official website 2005, Archive.org
  22. Official website 2006, Archive.org
  23. Official website 2019
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