What is your earliest memory of playing chess? I went up to Selfridges with my dad and we bought a wooden set for 10s. 6d. He taught us to play chess that evening. I remember him showing us the knight move. What is…
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Michael Basman Editor’s note: What is striking about these games is how each highlights different aspects of Mike’s playing style. As you might expect, there is his calling card – the outlandish opening 1 e4 g5 (‘totally bonkers’ –Nigel Short), but next is an epic…
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In 1968, the American magazine Chess Review introduced Michael Basman as ‘another bright B’ in the tradition of famous British chess players represented by Bird, Blackburne and Burn. That’s some billing for a 21-year-old. Basman would never be the brightest chess star in this firmament…
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Jimmy Adams I had just enjoyed a delicious plate of spaghetti in my favourite Italian restaurant and felt I simply had to extend my compliments to the chef: ‘Luigi, this is the finest spaghetti I have ever had in my life. What did you…
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Michael Basman International Intrigue It was Hastings 1967-8 at the annual congress run by Frank Rhoden. I had not been doing particularly well after having bullied Frank into giving me a place in the tournament. ‘I’ve got to invite Keene, Hartston and Penrose,…
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Michael Basman The Slippery Slope My first step along the road to perdition came in the London Under-14 Boys Championship in 1959 (in those days girls didn’t or couldn’t play chess). It was round 5 and I was playing J.N. Eyres of Colfe’s School…
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The Students’ Olympiad 1967 W. R. Hartston This event was held in Harrachov, Czechoslovakia in July and Cambridge University provided two members of the English team. On board two I scored two wins, nine draws and one loss in soporific style while on board…
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UK: £4.00 Europe: £5.00 RoW: £6.00 The Kingpin Questionnaire Eddie Gufeld lists his likes and self-likes Gary Lane’s Agony Column More no-nonsense advice from the well-informed IM Gary’s Handy Hints Gary Lane’s fail-safe guide to get the most from your chess Did Intel Break…
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UK: £4.00 Europe: £5.00 RoW: £6.00 The Kingpin Questionnaire IM Michael Basman Sexy Chess Openings FM Graham Burgess Computer Chess Eric Hallsworth How Good is Your Hacking? IM Chris Ward Not the World Championship Special Section Correspondence Chess FM Peter Sowray Forum Edward Winter…
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UK: £4.00 Europe: £5.00 RoW: £6.00 The Player’s Player GM Ray Keene, IM Keith Arkell, IM Malcolm Pein Attacking with the Closed Sicilian IM Andrew Martin Letters GM Tony Miles, Ida Eddis Foster Positional Chess IM Michael Basman Bela Perenyi 1953 – 1988 IM…
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