Researching Robin Matthews

Matthews was born in Edinburgh. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and was a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He was the Drummond Professor of Political Economy at Oxford from 1965 to 1975 and the Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge from 1980 to 1991. He was also the Master of Clare College, Cambridge from 1975 to 1993.

As a chess problemist he specialised in the composition of directmate three-movers, a field in which he was recognised as one of the world's leading exponents.

Matthews wrote many books on economics, among which:* The Trade Cycle, Cambridge University Press, 1960* A Study in Trade-Cycle History: Economic Fluctuations in Great Britain 1833-1842, 1954 * Economic Growth and Resources, Palgrave Macmillan, 1980* Economic Growth and Resources: Volume 2, Trends and Factors, Palgrave Macmillan, 1980* British Economic Growth 1856-1973 (with C. H. Feinstein and J. Odling-Smee), Clarendon Press, 1982

He also wrote two books on chess problems:* Chess Problems: Introduction to an art (with M. Lipton and J. M. Rice), 1963* Mostly Three-Movers: Collected Chess Problems 1939-1993, Feenschach-Phénix, Aachen, 1995

Matthews made his debut for Oxfordshire against Berkshire in the 1964 Minor Counties Championship. He played Minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire from 1964 to 1969, making 18 Minor Counties Championship appearances. He made his List A debut against Cambridgeshire in the 1967 Gillette Cup. In this match, he wasn't required to bat, while with the ball he took the wickets of Peter Shippey and Rex Gautrey for the cost of 29 runs from 8.1 overs. He made a further List A appearance for Oxfordshire, against Worcestershire in the 1970 Gillette Cup. In this match, he was dismissed for a duck by Vanburn Holder, while with the ball he took the wickets of Ron Headley and Alan Ormrod, taking figures of 2/15 from 12 overs.

Matthews later joined Leicestershire, making his first-class debut against the touring Indians at Grace Road. He made 24 further first-class appearances for Leicestershire, the last of which came against Kent in 1973 County Championship. In his 25 first-class matches, he took 48 wickets at an average of 27.87, with best figures of 7/51. These figures, his only five wicket haul, came against Sussex in the 1972 County Championship. With the bat, he scored 89 runs at a batting average of 8.90, with a high score of 16 not out. He made his List A debut for the county against Middlesex in the 1971 John Player League. He made 6 further List A appearances for Leicestershire, the last of which came against Surrey in the 1973 John Player League. In his 7 List A matches for the team, he took 7 wickets at an average of 37.28, with best figures of 3/40.