1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Ne2 e5 7. a3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Bxc3+ 9. Nxc3? exd4 10. Ne2 dxe3 11. Qxd8+ Nxd8 12. Bxe3 O-O 13. O-O Be6 14. Rac1 c6 15. Ng3 Nd5 16. Bxd5 Bxd5 17. Bc5 Re8 18. Nf5 Ne6 19. Ne7+ Kh8 20. Nxd5 cxd5 21. Rfd1 b6 22. Bd4 Rac8 23. Rxc8 Rxc8 24. g3 h6 25. Kf1 Nxd4

"Injudicious; by preserving the Knight, Black had a good chance to win" (Löwenthal & Wisker).

26. Rxd4 Rc2 27. Rxd5 Rxb2 28. Rd7 a5 29. Rxf7 Rb3 30. a4 Rb4 31. Rb7 Kg8 32. h4 Rxa4 33. Rxb6 Ra1+ 34. Kg2 Rc1 35. Rb5 Ra1 36. Rb7 a4 37. Ra7 Kf8 38. h5 a3 39. Kf3 a2 40. Kf4 Ke8 41. Kf5 Rh1 42. Rxa2 Rxh5+ 43. Kg4

"and the game was given up as drawn".

1/2-1/2

Source(s): The Westminster Papers, 1st April 1874, p. 254 (J. H. Zukertort and John Wisker, with light annotations) (via Google Books); The Chess Players' Chronicle, vol. 6, 1874, pp. 68-69 (via Google Books) (score to 33W; notes by A. B. Skipworth).

Event information: Source; Huddersfield College Magazine, vol. 2, 1874, pp. 154-57 (via Google Books) (match scorecard; Plunkett played two other games againt May in this match, and lost both); The Chess Players' Chronicle, vol. 6, February 1874, pp. 55-57 (see Source) (match scorecard); Varsity Chess Matches 1873-present: Oxford University versus Cambridge University, John Saunders, BritBase.