An abnormal profile of cation exchange high performance liquid chromatography for the determination of Hb A1c led to the discovery of a new hemoglobin variant with a His----Tyr substitution at position 97(FG4) of the beta chain. The variant comprised about equal proportion to normal Hb A. It showed an increased oxygen affinity, normal n value and slightly reduced alkaline Bohr effect. However, the magnitude of the functional deviation is less than that of other variants with substitutions at the same position, and the heterozygous carrier was not erythremic.