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"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. His efforts encouraged me and millions of other kids to enjoy the wonderful benefits of this game.
Mike had a wicked sense of humour which could even be seen in his opening choices (1.g4 as white and 1…g5 as black). Just a few days before his untimely death we were joking about how even the World champion Magnus Carlsen was finally adopting his openings in a recent chess.com Titled Tuesday event.
The energy, originality and joy that Mike brought to all his endeavours is a source of great inspiration. He believed that young minds should be encouraged to be rational, compassionate and creative and that through chess and the UK Chess Challenge he could help develop these traits in the next generation. Mike was a fighter at the board and away from it – not afraid to stand up for his beliefs.
Mike leaves behind an incredible chess legacy and I know many of his former students, friends and acquaintances will be deeply saddened by his passing. Our condolences go out to his family and nearest friends."
IM Michael Basman
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John Upham
- Posts: 7234
- Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
- Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Re: IM Michael Basman
I 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.
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.
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Last edited by John Upham on Thu Oct 27, 2022 10:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
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Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess
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Matt Mackenzie
- Posts: 5250
- Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:51 pm
- Location: Millom, Cumbria
Re: IM Michael Basman
Sad news indeed, despite the controversies he did a great deal for British chess.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Kevin Thurlow
- Posts: 5839
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm
Re: IM Michael Basman
Yes, Matt sums it up well.
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LawrenceCooper
- Posts: 7262
- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:13 am
Re: IM Michael Basman
Very sad news. My only game against him from many years ago:
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David Sedgwick
- Posts: 5249
- Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:56 pm
- Location: Croydon
Re: IM Michael Basman
John Upham wrote: ↑Thu Oct 27, 2022 12:36 pmI 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.
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 UKCC family especially Pat A.
Mike leaves behind his ex-wife, his sister Rose and his son Anthony. 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.
You have done pretty well so far. That is an excellent tribute.
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John Foley
- Posts: 369
- Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:58 am
- Location: Kingston-upon-Thames
Re: IM Michael Basman
Mike was a friend of Kingston Chess Club. He used occasionally to drop by for a Blitz evening. He gave a memorable talk on 14th February 2022 of which there is an account here.
Mike Basman in his element giving a chess lecture at Kingston. (Photo: John Foley)
A couple of months after his visit, Mike presented us with a monograph on Bird : "Everybody's Talking about the Bird. A celebratory talk about Britain's greatest ever chess player HENRY BIRD competitor, innovator, author, theorist, teacher, historian and visionary". He published it privately, one of his last chess publications, 40 pp A4 with cover artwork by Olivia Smithies. He provides a brief overview of the life and games of Bird in which parallels are, perhaps consciously, drawn with Mike's own life. He points out that Bird was often engaged in arguments about chess, was at odds with the chess world and was tarred with the description of being eccentric.
The booklet contains the games of the "Bird" rapid tournament" played that evening whereby the opening move for both white and black was determined by lot. The aim is to neutralise opening preparation and eliminate the advantage of preparation. In the 25 minutes-each tournament, Mike beat the in-form Peter Lalić in a Réti, Old Indian Attack.
Mike's game notes will be made available on the Kingston website.
In his handwritten dedication, he characterised the recipient 12 members of Kingston Chess Club as being the "original twelve" presumably for having subjected ourselves to this novel form of tournament.
Like Bird, Mike was a hugely energetic chess populariser who brought chess to the public. For Mike, this meant bringing chess to children in schools. He chose tutors for their communication and teaching abilities, not for their chess knowledge. In this regard, as in many others, he was ahead of his time.
We look forward to a worthy monograph on Mike's contribution to chess. I understand that British Chess News will be carrying an obituary. At Kingston we will also try to do him justice in a memoriam.
Mike Basman in his element giving a chess lecture at Kingston. (Photo: John Foley)
A couple of months after his visit, Mike presented us with a monograph on Bird : "Everybody's Talking about the Bird. A celebratory talk about Britain's greatest ever chess player HENRY BIRD competitor, innovator, author, theorist, teacher, historian and visionary". He published it privately, one of his last chess publications, 40 pp A4 with cover artwork by Olivia Smithies. He provides a brief overview of the life and games of Bird in which parallels are, perhaps consciously, drawn with Mike's own life. He points out that Bird was often engaged in arguments about chess, was at odds with the chess world and was tarred with the description of being eccentric.
The booklet contains the games of the "Bird" rapid tournament" played that evening whereby the opening move for both white and black was determined by lot. The aim is to neutralise opening preparation and eliminate the advantage of preparation. In the 25 minutes-each tournament, Mike beat the in-form Peter Lalić in a Réti, Old Indian Attack.
Mike's game notes will be made available on the Kingston website.
In his handwritten dedication, he characterised the recipient 12 members of Kingston Chess Club as being the "original twelve" presumably for having subjected ourselves to this novel form of tournament.
Like Bird, Mike was a hugely energetic chess populariser who brought chess to the public. For Mike, this meant bringing chess to children in schools. He chose tutors for their communication and teaching abilities, not for their chess knowledge. In this regard, as in many others, he was ahead of his time.
We look forward to a worthy monograph on Mike's contribution to chess. I understand that British Chess News will be carrying an obituary. At Kingston we will also try to do him justice in a memoriam.
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Nick Ivell
- Posts: 1139
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 6:33 pm
Re: IM Michael Basman
I saw Mike a lot in the 1970s, but cannot claim to have known him well.
His openings could frankly be terrible, but there is no doubt he was a very strong player.
A great loss to English chess.
His openings could frankly be terrible, but there is no doubt he was a very strong player.
A great loss to English chess.
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Matt Mackenzie
- Posts: 5250
- Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:51 pm
- Location: Millom, Cumbria
Re: IM Michael Basman
He would doubtless have replied that he beat some very strong players with those "terrible" openings.
(and he did, even if his superiors more often gave him sound beatings when he tried them)
IIRC it was Hans Ree who speculated he took them up as a "compensation" once he realised he would never get to the very top.
(and he did, even if his superiors more often gave him sound beatings when he tried them)
IIRC it was Hans Ree who speculated he took them up as a "compensation" once he realised he would never get to the very top.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Paul Cooksey
- Posts: 1526
- Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 4:15 pm
Re: IM Michael Basman
Sensible opening, but...!
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Jon Mahony
- Posts: 670
- Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:47 pm
- Location: Leeds
Re: IM Michael Basman
Nothing wrong with the GrobNick Ivell wrote: ↑Thu Oct 27, 2022 5:40 pmHis openings could frankly be terrible, but there is no doubt he was a very strong player.
though I never got on with his recommended 2.h3 - I read that book cover-to-cover it was entertaining if nothing else.I think you are heading for trouble with the 5 page section on the "Borg" (the black Grob) which seemed to be shuffled in as an afterthought.
RIP.
"When you see a good move, look for a better one!" - Lasker
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James Plaskett
- Posts: 251
- Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:36 pm
Re: IM Michael Basman
Sad news. We´ve lost several other friends through cancer.
A sound and very clever guy. I think he may well have had an interest in the mystical side of Islam; Sufism.
Condolences to his wife and his son, Antranig.
A sound and very clever guy. I think he may well have had an interest in the mystical side of Islam; Sufism.
Condolences to his wife and his son, Antranig.
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Keith Arkell
- Posts: 930
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:10 am
Re: IM Michael Basman
Even though I had known for a number of months that Mike was terminally ill my sadness is still tinged with shock. Throughout my chess life he was always visible in one capacity or another - larger than life, in a sense:
My friend Peter Griffiths spoke of their Glorney Cup days together. Mike, on board 1, captained the side to victory alongside the likes of Hartston and Keene in London in 1964. When I was in Hungary for 3 months with Anuurai Sainbayar in 2020 we were often on the phone to Mike as he was keen to see her games and offer her advice. When Carlsen began playing 1...g5 in 'Titled Tuesday' thoughts immediately turned to Mike.
When some of us hung out with Mike at a Newcastle tournament last year he showed us his game v Botvinnik from Hastings. He was proud of the World Champion's compliments, and believed that Botvinnik offered the draw as a token of respect, when he might have played on.
My last memory of Mike was of him getting up in a restaurant and doing a quirky little dance to the delight of the other diners.
Idiosyncratic, visionary, kind hearted and principled, Mike Basman's passing will leave a big hole in British Chess.
My friend Peter Griffiths spoke of their Glorney Cup days together. Mike, on board 1, captained the side to victory alongside the likes of Hartston and Keene in London in 1964. When I was in Hungary for 3 months with Anuurai Sainbayar in 2020 we were often on the phone to Mike as he was keen to see her games and offer her advice. When Carlsen began playing 1...g5 in 'Titled Tuesday' thoughts immediately turned to Mike.
When some of us hung out with Mike at a Newcastle tournament last year he showed us his game v Botvinnik from Hastings. He was proud of the World Champion's compliments, and believed that Botvinnik offered the draw as a token of respect, when he might have played on.
My last memory of Mike was of him getting up in a restaurant and doing a quirky little dance to the delight of the other diners.
Idiosyncratic, visionary, kind hearted and principled, Mike Basman's passing will leave a big hole in British Chess.
Last edited by Keith Arkell on Fri Oct 28, 2022 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Richard Thursby
- Posts: 285
- Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:25 am
- Location: origin + pathname + search + hash
Re: IM Michael Basman
I have Michael Basman to thank for my Fischer score, although my overall score against him was negative. I played him at least three times in the London/Ealing Rapidplays whose organisers have been mentioned in this thread already. I also remember a discussion/argument I had with him about how the London Government Act 1963 applied to chess.
Others are definitely better qualified to answer whether Shamble Maniac (an anagram of his name which I first saw in Mike Fox and Richard James' CHESS column), is apt.
Others are definitely better qualified to answer whether Shamble Maniac (an anagram of his name which I first saw in Mike Fox and Richard James' CHESS column), is apt.
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Kevin Thurlow
- Posts: 5839
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm
Re: IM Michael Basman
"My last memory of Mike was of him getting up in a restaurant and doing a quirky little dance to the delight of the other diners."
I have witnessed the dancing as well - very good. And he was a big fan of (the late) Jerry Lee Lewis as well.
edited for news today that JLL has sadly died.
I have witnessed the dancing as well - very good. And he was a big fan of (the late) Jerry Lee Lewis as well.
edited for news today that JLL has sadly died.