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Michael Basman
M Basman 
Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.  

Number of games in database: 478
Years covered: 1960 to 2022
Last FIDE rating: 2289 (2172 rapid, 2269 blitz)
Highest rating achieved in database: 2350
Overall record: +220 -157 =93 (56.7%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 8 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Uncommon Opening (82) 
    A00 B00
 Sicilian (43) 
    B21 B20 B30 B50 B22
 Queen's Pawn Game (17) 
    A46 A45 D02 A40 D04
 King's Gambit Accepted (13) 
    C33 C34 C36 C35 C37
 French Defense (11) 
    C16 C02 C17 C13 C00
 King's Gambit Declined (10) 
    C30 C32 C31
With the Black pieces:
 Uncommon Opening (65) 
    B00 A00
 Queen's Pawn Game (29) 
    A40 D02 A45
 Sicilian (27) 
    B40 B22 B29 B44 B27
 French Defense (15) 
    C16 C00 C02 C05 C01
 English (15) 
    A10 A13 A12 A19
 Reti System (13) 
    A04 A05
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   F Babar vs M Basman, 1993 0-1
   S Bibby vs M Basman, 1990 0-1
   C Morrison vs M Basman, 1981 0-1
   Andersson vs M Basman, 1975 0-1
   Mecking vs M Basman, 1967 0-1
   M Basman vs Nunn, 1978 1-0
   M Basman vs A Whiteley, 1973 1-0
   M Basman vs Tal, 1974 1/2-1/2
   W Hartston vs M Basman, 1974 1/2-1/2
   C Laird vs M Basman, 1982 0-1

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   British Championship (1973)
   Glasgow Invitation (1968)
   Birmingham (1972)
   Islington Open (1972)
   Kings Head International (1982)
   Hastings 1973/74 (1973)
   British Championship (1986)
   British Championship (1984)
   Aaronson Masters (1978)
   Hastings 1974/75 (1975)
   British Championship (1991)
   British Championship (1990)
   British Championship (1972)
   17th Lloyds Bank Masters Open (1993)
   British Championship (1985)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   0ZeR0's Favorite Games Volume 45 by 0ZeR0
   Basmanian Daredevil Eats Bird w/Fredthebear by fredthebear
   Interesting Spike/Grob wins by Nephrons1
   G-Men Wear Black Like Fredthebear by fredthebear
   Interesting Spike/Grob wins by smalldreams
   Interesting Spike/Grob wins by FrankTheTank
   1 G4!! by FrankTheTank
   1 G4!! by Cshatranj
   JP G4 by Firelight
   Hastings 1966/67 by suenteus po 147

RECENT GAMES:
   🏆 Bird rapidplay
   M Basman vs P Lalic (Feb-14-22) 1-0
   M Basman vs T Kanyamarala (Oct-25-21) 0-1
   M Bosboom vs M Basman (Oct-24-18) 1-0
   M Basman vs R Maciol (Dec-09-17) 1-0, rapid
   M Basman vs Shabalov (Dec-17-16) 0-1, rapid

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Michael Basman
Search Google for Michael Basman


MICHAEL BASMAN
(born Mar-16-1946, died Oct-26-2022, 76 years old) United Kingdom

[what is this?]

Michael John Basman was born in St Pancras, London, England. He was awarded the IM title in 1980 and having dual nationality won the Erevan Championship whilst living there in the early 1970s. He was also a pioneer in the production of audio tapes for chess.

Basman was noted for his use of unorthodox flank openings, such as 1.g4, 1.h3, 1.e4 g5, etc. He expanded on the work of Henri Grob with his book on the topic of 1.g4, The Killer Grob.

Basman created the UK Chess Challenge, a tournament for juniors of all standards and ages progressing over four stages.(1)

1) https://www.delanceyukschoolschessc...

2) Wikipedia article: Michael Basman

Last updated: 2022-10-28 17:52:47

 page 1 of 20; games 1-25 of 478  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. M Basman vs T Brugger  1-0221960From Junior Chess Games (Bott / Morrison)D51 Queen's Gambit Declined
2. Szabo vs M Basman 1-0321961BBC Simul (Barden)A19 English, Mikenas-Carls, Sicilian Variation
3. M Basman vs V W Knox 1-0431962BCF-ch U18 qual-2B21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
4. M Basman vs M H Miller  1-0411962BCF-ch U18 FinalB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
5. C Waites vs M Basman 1-0261962BCF-ch U18 FinalD44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
6. Keene vs M Basman 1-0351963Bognor rapid transit tourneyD14 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation
7. R A Harris vs M Basman  0-1321963BCF-ch U21B28 Sicilian, O'Kelly Variation
8. M Basman vs N Stockman  0-1321963BCF-ch U21B21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
9. Keene vs M Basman 1-0241963speed chessA33 English, Symmetrical
10. A R Thomas vs M Basman 1-0171964Hastings Challengers -65B22 Sicilian, Alapin
11. M Basman vs O M Hindle  0-1361964British ChampionshipA10 English
12. M Basman vs J A Johnstone  0-1421964British ChampionshipC02 French, Advance
13. M Basman vs G Anoshin  1-0351965WchT U26 12th prelA46 Queen's Pawn Game
14. M Basman vs B Enklaar  ½-½391965WchT U26 12th prelC84 Ruy Lopez, Closed
15. B Enklaar vs M Basman  0-1411965WchT U26 12th fin-AA55 Old Indian, Main line
16. Keene vs M Basman  0-1361965National Club ChampionshipA12 English with b3
17. G Chesters vs M Basman  0-1371965London June TrainingC46 Three Knights
18. W Hartston vs M Basman  0-1361965London June TrainingB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
19. M Basman vs O M Hindle  1-0361965London June TrainingA48 King's Indian
20. M Basman vs Keene 0-1451965London June TrainingA46 Queen's Pawn Game
21. R G Wade vs M Basman  0-1351965London June TrainingB58 Sicilian
22. M Basman vs F Burgener ½-½401966Orebro Stud olm prelim4B21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
23. M Basman vs I Gat  0-1401966Orebro Stud olm prelim4B22 Sicilian, Alapin
24. M Basman vs M Cebalo  ½-½471966Orebro Stud olm fAB22 Sicilian, Alapin
25. J Sloth vs M Basman 1-0381966Orebro Stud olm fAA07 King's Indian Attack
 page 1 of 20; games 1-25 of 478  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Basman wins | Basman loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 6 OF 6 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Mar-17-19  JimNorCal: "Government is another word for things we do together..."
Mar-17-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: <You can only apply for bankruptcy online. It costs £680.>

https://www.gov.uk/bankruptcy

Mar-23-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  woldsmandriffield: Perhaps Michael Basman should have changed his name to Lorraine.
Mar-23-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: £300,000 for a one-year sabbatical sounds quite reasonable remuneration to me. Unless he got booted from his home, in which case he might end bumming a kip on Leonard William Barden 's sofa.
Mar-24-20  Caissanist: In 2017 the Delancey event was purchased out of bankruptcy by Sarah N Longson and Alexander Longson, who now run it: https://en.chessbase.com/post/the-w... .
Oct-27-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical: https://www.delanceyukschoolschessc... have just reported:

<"It is with the utmost sadness that we have to report the death of International Master Michael Basman - the founder of the UK Chess Challenge. Our thoughts go out to his family and close friends. The chess world has lost an amazing person" >

Oct-27-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  Stonehenge: I'm not seeing that message.
Oct-27-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: Try https://twitter.com/Delancey_UKCC/s...
Oct-27-22  Olavi: Very sad to hear. Some amazing games he played, and wrote inspirational books.
Oct-27-22  Olavi: This was a near miss: Botvinnik vs M Basman, 1967
Oct-27-22  Brenin: Such sad news. He was the most original UK player of my generation.
Oct-27-22  ZoboBear 000000001: <I [John Upham] was contacted early this morning with this news and am still in shock.

Pancreatic cancer was the horrible disease that took him from us.

Tserendorj and Anuurai stayed with Mike in St. Helier Hospital in Carshalton for the last three days and looked after him to the last although, typically, Mike refused to admit that he was in pain or unwell and hospital was most inconvenient.

His contribution to English (and Surrey / Wey Valley) junior chess is huge and must surely never be forgotten.

Botvinnik spoke very highly of Mike at Hastings and predicted great things for him. His chess was very imaginative: the obvious thing to talk about are his bizarre openings but his middle game skills were top notch. I licensed Mike to Duncan Suttles stylistically.

Perhaps best known for founding UKCC, Mike was at heart an educator and an innovator. His work with Audio Chess was way ahead of its time. The idea of using audio cassettes to analyse students games (to and fro) was truly modern in the 1970s.

I was official photographer for UKCC for at least five years and Mike was an absolute pleasure to work for, he simply trusted me to get on with it.

My thoughts go out to his family and to his huge pre-HMRC fire sale UKCC family especially Pat Armstrong and the throngs of helpers that made Gigafinals and Terafinals run so smoothly.

Mike leaves behind his ex-wife, his sister Rose and his son Antranig. Robert Moore (Addlestone Chess Club), his brother, passed away in June 2022.

Farewell my friend: you will be missed: truly one of life's good guys.

I will write further when I can get my thoughts together.>

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopi...

Oct-28-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: RIP to a highly creative, original thinker and player whose influence reached far beyond his games and ideas.
Oct-28-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  moronovich: A great player who used his brain and invented many interesting and original opening ideas.

May you rest in peace.

Oct-28-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: RIP Michael Basman

Positional genius and very original in his thinking. Also a fantastic tournament organiser for young player chess. He has done so much for British Chess.

Oct-28-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  takchess: It would be nice to have him as player of the day, the grob be the opening of the day and a game of his be the game of the day in his memory. A creative player !
Oct-28-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical: The Chess.com obituary written by Peter Doggers

https://www.chess.com/news/view/mic...

An excerpt:

<His iconoclastic approach and the encouragement he gave to young players marked Basman as a true lover of the game, and his passion for chess was perhaps the greatest and most inspiring I have ever encountered.>

Oct-28-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  Stonehenge: FIDE have already deleted his player card, as if he never existed.

Very bad practice.

Oct-28-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  Messiah: This is a very sad news. Rest in peace.
Oct-29-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: That is efficient in a ghoulish, grotesque sort of way, and reminds me of their energy in extracting every last quid from those players with the temerity to switch federations.
Nov-01-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  saffuna: Daniel King remembers Michael Basman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eM...

Nov-01-22  Eastfrisian: RIP Master Basman.
Nov-07-22  7he5haman: Very sad to hear about Mike’s death. I played in his UKCC tournaments and made lifelong friends as a result. Happy memories, all thanks to him x
Nov-12-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: I did an initial tribute video for his amazing game with Bibby here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_o...

Dec-25-22  Cardinal Fang: RIP Mike Basman. Truly original player, inspiring human being, one of a kind.
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