Michael Basman, a strong British player in the 1960s and 1970s, and founder of the UK Chess Challenge died on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at the age of 76 from pancreatic cancer.
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GM Keith Arkell, on the English Chess Forum: Even though I had known for several 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. Idiosyncratic, visionary, kind-hearted and principled, Mike Basman’s passing will leave a big hole in British Chess.
Sad news.
I enjoyed his book on the Grob, and had the pleasure of meeting him later in person
A very kind man. https://t.co/AmQqGEoAJnAdvertisement
— Peter Heine Nielsen (@PHChess) October 27, 2022
Basman founded the UK Chess Challenge in 1996, a four-stage tournament for juniors of all levels and ages. It has grown into one of the world’s largest junior chess tournaments over the years. Over 50,000 children participate nationwide, with over a million having participated since 1996.
Basman was awarded the President’s Award for services to chess by the English Chess Federation in 2013. Basman was among those who benefited from FIDE’s support for chess veterans in 2020
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