The correct spelling is:

GHULAM KASSIM (birth date unknown, died Madras 1844)

He was an Indian chess player and author of the early 19th century, best known today for a variation of the King's Gambit that bears his name.

In colonial India, several native forms of chess were popular; Ghulam Kassim was one of the first Indian players to achieve a degree of proficiency at the western form of the game.

With assistance from James Cochrane, Ghulam Kassim published in 1829 a short book entitled 'Analysis of the Muzio Gambit, and match of two games at Chess, Played between Madras and Hyderabad', with Remarks by Ghulam Kassim, of Madras, who had the Chief Directorate of the Madras Games, and James Cochrane, Esq. of the Madras Civil Service.

The first part of the book contained detailed analysis of the King's Gambit variation 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.d4!?, which he advocated as superior to the more common 5.0-0 (the Muzio Gambit). This opinion is not shared by modern opening theory, however his analysis was well regarded and was cited by Howard Staunton as well as the German Handbuch des Schachspiels. The line is now known as the Ghulam Kassim Gambit, and is regarded as distinct from the Muzio Gambit.

G Khassim vs NN, 1847

The second part of the book contained analysis of the two games between the Madras and Hyderabad chess clubs; the final section contained a short analysis of the Scotch Game and of the Italian Game.

The book can be read on-line: https://books.google.ch/books?id=I_...

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Madras vs Hyderabad correspondence chess match

Tim Harding notes:

'Dr Bruno Bassi (part 10 of his history series in Mail Chess 1949 p327) reports that the exact dates of the Madras-Hyderabad games are not known. The players for Madras were James Cochrane (NOT John Cochrane, lately of London) and Ghulam Kassim.

Unfortunately the leading Hyderabad player Shah Sahib died soon after the start of the match. His place was taken by a less strong player, Row Sahib. (These names are not in the Ghulam Kassim book, which has the game on pages 41-44. They are found when Lewis sends the games in to Staunton, and his mention of John Cochrasne is corrected: CPC volume 1, see pp 34, 49 and 73).'

Madras Chess Club vs Hyderabad, 1828 (C.N. 9982)

Under the leadership of Ghulam Kassim, Madras won both games.

Hyderabad vs Madras Chess Club, 1828 (C.N. 9982)

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Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghula...

Howard Staunton,The Chess Player's Chronicle, 1841, p73: https://books.google.de/books?id=sq...

Sarah's Chess Journal: http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/Coch...