Jean Defuse: ...
Some biographical information about Keynes by Martin Smith:
Keynes Senior is documented playing against Oxford in matches from 1873 (when the Oxbridge ties began - they continue today) through to 1878 (CBC p.344-5). Keynes was on board 1 for Cambridge from 1875 to 1878. The 1874 match is reported in the Westminster Papers: A Monthly Journal of Whist, Games of Skill and the Drama. It was played at the City of London Chess Club: "amid every indication of undiminished popular interest...[it] attracted the attendance of almost every person of note in the Metropolitan Chess world." Blackburne and Zukertort, among the strongest players in the world at the time, were there giving simultaneous and blindfold displays "in a crowded room...heavy with the smoke of the 'fragrant weed'." The chess was followed by the usual excellent supper for players, and officials such as Steinitz (also among the world chess élite). He was umpire for the match. The occasion was topped off with speeches and loyal toasts &c.
J. N. Keynes gets a mention in the Westminster Papers of April 1874 wherein his games, among those of some others, were deemed "worthy of perusal." His first round effort is on the internet here (where the play of his Oxford opponent doesn't impress - was that the best they could do?), and the last (of three) was adjudicated by Steinitz as a win for Keynes (playing Black) after only 16 moves (supper was ready!). True, Keynes was a pawn up with a better position, but the Paper's chess annotators Wisker and/or Zukertort judged it "quite impossible to prove that Black's game is won". Steinitz had been coaching the Cambridge team (as reported Papers p. 245), but perish the thought that this might have coloured his judgement.
Below is a win by J.N.K. from a later match in 1878 (possibly the first time the game has seen the light of day for nigh on 140 years)...
_
[Event "Oxford v Cambridge"]
[Site "City of London Chess Club"]
[Date "1878.03.27"]
[White "Keynes, J N."]
[Black "Wright, F M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C24"]
[PlyCount "37"]
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f4 Nxe4 4. d3 Qh4+ 5. g3 Nxg3 6. Nf3 Qh5 7. Rg1 Nf5 8. Rg5 Qh3 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Rh5 Qg2 11. Rxf5+ Kg8 12. Rg5 Qh3 13. Qe2 d6 14. Rg3 Qh5 15. Nc3 Bg4 19. Qc4+ 1-0
_
The biography of J.N.Keynes (LTJNK p 24) quotes from his diary which says that he "meddled with chess problems", and gives the first entry for 1874 in which he 'boasted' (the biographer's word): "a problem of mine is published in the Westminster Papers for this month."
...
Source: http://streathambrixtonchess.blogsp...
...
Kibitzing
