Hi 😊
"OneDebutPlayer" hit 2775 blitz (3 min. per player/game) on chess.com by playing the Elshad opening system only — both as white and as black!
Monday, March 16, 2026
Friday, October 10, 2025
Michael Basman Legacy
This is Pure Gold for Basman's Fans!
YouTube Channel description:"International Master Michael Basman, who died on 26 October 2022 at the age of 76, was an innovator who passed on his love and deep knowledge of the game to countless players in Surrey and beyond. He was founder of the U.K. Chess Challenge, a prolific author, and most of all an innovator both on and off the chessboard. This channel collects together his Audio Chess cassettes produced during the 70s and 80s, a perfect vehicle for active learning as listeners are invited to think for themselves."
And I'd like to add that PDFs are downloadable too!
Click HERE to access it
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
"U cannot be serious!" by IM Gerard Welling and IM Michael Basman
Two of the most esteemed chess players in the world of Unorthodox Chess Openings combined their efforts to produce the FINAL word on Basman's unusual openings.
A new book with 304 pages!
A real labour of love.
Content
004 Symbols and bibliography
006 Contents
007 Introduction
011 Chapter 1 Basmania in Biel
047 Chapter 2 Basmania in Belgium
061 Chapter 3 St. George’s Opening with Black and White
099 Chapter 4 Grob’s Inheritance
161 Chapter 5 Global Opening Play
217 Chapter 6 Basmania for the 21st Century
293 Chapter 7 Outro
299 Index Games
Here you can read a detailed description and a 18 pages sample as well!
I can't wait to read the whole book!
Thursday, November 19, 2020
IM Mike Basman's YouTube Channel & Web Site
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Mike Basman's new - old book - "Bas-Man : My best games 1951-1961"
A new old book has been published.
The title is "Bas-Man : My best games 1951-1961" , 40 pages 30 annotated games with many diagrams.
Written in 1961 and first published in 2019 by :
Chess Ambassador Ltd.
ChessFest
7 Billockby Close
Chessington, Surrey
KT92ED England
Mike Basman's current email address where you can contact him is
surreyhundreds@gmail.com
The price is 5,95 British Pound
On the backflap text we read :
"Mike Basman is one of the most famous eccentrics of the chess world - but was he always like this ?
This book of his early years, written when he was about 15 year old, shows a more orthodox player,
who, steeped in the books of the great chess popularisers Fred Reinfeld and Irving Chernev,
played regular openings such as the Giuoco Piano. Queens Gambit and Sicilian Defence.
As such, the books is a marvellous instructional work for any young player hoping to rise up from the amateur and novice ranks to become a succesful performer on the national and international stage.
How far can YOU go ? "
PS I want to express my appreciation to IM Welling for letting me know about it.
The title is "Bas-Man : My best games 1951-1961" , 40 pages 30 annotated games with many diagrams.
Written in 1961 and first published in 2019 by :
Chess Ambassador Ltd.
ChessFest
7 Billockby Close
Chessington, Surrey
KT92ED England
Mike Basman's current email address where you can contact him is
surreyhundreds@gmail.com
The price is 5,95 British Pound
On the backflap text we read :
"Mike Basman is one of the most famous eccentrics of the chess world - but was he always like this ?
This book of his early years, written when he was about 15 year old, shows a more orthodox player,
who, steeped in the books of the great chess popularisers Fred Reinfeld and Irving Chernev,
played regular openings such as the Giuoco Piano. Queens Gambit and Sicilian Defence.
As such, the books is a marvellous instructional work for any young player hoping to rise up from the amateur and novice ranks to become a succesful performer on the national and international stage.
How far can YOU go ? "
PS I want to express my appreciation to IM Welling for letting me know about it.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
eBook on sale: "La Difesa du Chattel: Un sistema universale"
Sunday, September 1, 2019
"Side-Stepping Mainline Theory: Cut Down on Opening Study and Get a Middlegame You Are Familiar With" by IM Welling and FM Giddins
Previous post on the subject:
http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.com/2019/05/dec-2019-new-repertoire-book-by-im.html
At last here you can read a preview of it.
A great tool to minimize opening study and to create a sound and rock solid opening repertoire.
It's exactly what the non master tournament player needs!
http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.com/2019/05/dec-2019-new-repertoire-book-by-im.html
Finally the book has been published!
Currently you can find it on the New In Chess Website at this link or in ebook format see this link. At last here you can read a preview of it.
A great tool to minimize opening study and to create a sound and rock solid opening repertoire.
It's exactly what the non master tournament player needs!
BRAVI Welling & Giddins!
Monday, July 1, 2019
"The Elshad for White" by FM Nemtsev
After the "outrageous" "The Elshad System" was published in 2017 now here it is the follow up for White to be published in the coming weeks.
Here you can read the previous posts on Black's opening system.
Here you can read the previous posts on Black's opening system.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
PRESOLANA CHESS OPEN 2019 FROM 18TH TO 25TH AUGUST 2019 - ITALY
Would you like playing competitive chess from Aug. 18th to Aug 25th?
Do you like the mountains?
Do you like italian food?
Then one of these tournaments is PERFECT for you! 😉
https://www.presolanachessopen.it/?lang=en
Do you like the mountains?
Do you like italian food?
Then one of these tournaments is PERFECT for you! 😉
https://www.presolanachessopen.it/?lang=en
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Du Chattel Defence: A Universal System
In autumn 2019 it will be published a new book about the du Chattel opening. This universal opening system involves an early Nh6 move. It has been my favourite chess opening for more than a decade now. A few info about the upcoming book:
1. More than 120 pages;
2. Italian language but algebraic notation;
3. Its authors are :
- Italian CM Walter De Marco, current Fide rating 1861 but he had a 2096 peak Fide rating back in 2003. He is also a registered Chess Instructor for the Italian Chess Federation.
- Chess enthusiast Paola Mezzanzanica, with no Fide rating.
Chessplayers intererested to purchase this work may contact directly the authors at the following email address: chess.duchattelsystem@gmail.com
A book preview can be downloaded here
A real labour of love about an original but fully playable opening system. In the past I used it in national chess tournaments and I realized that even strong players playing the White side of the board need some time in order to organize their thoughts to be able to face a rarely used system. Also this opening is excellent in Rapid & Blitz tournaments where the time on the clock is a key factor.
Link to previous blog posts on the same subject.
1. More than 120 pages;
2. Italian language but algebraic notation;
3. Its authors are :
- Italian CM Walter De Marco, current Fide rating 1861 but he had a 2096 peak Fide rating back in 2003. He is also a registered Chess Instructor for the Italian Chess Federation.
- Chess enthusiast Paola Mezzanzanica, with no Fide rating.
Chessplayers intererested to purchase this work may contact directly the authors at the following email address: chess.duchattelsystem@gmail.com
A book preview can be downloaded here
A real labour of love about an original but fully playable opening system. In the past I used it in national chess tournaments and I realized that even strong players playing the White side of the board need some time in order to organize their thoughts to be able to face a rarely used system. Also this opening is excellent in Rapid & Blitz tournaments where the time on the clock is a key factor.
Link to previous blog posts on the same subject.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Dec. 2019: A new repertoire book by IM Gerard Welling and FM Steve Giddins!
According to Amazon there's an upcoming new book, to be published on Dec. 20th 2019 by IM Gerard Welling and FM Steve Giddins!
The title is:
"Side-stepping Mainline Theory: Cut Down on Chess Opening Study and Get a Middlegame You are Familiar With"
And this is the description of it:
"The average chess player spends too much time on studying opening theory. In his day, World Champion Emanuel Lasker argued that improving amateurs should spend about 5% of their study time on openings. These days club players are probably closer to 80%, often focusing on opening lines that are popular among grandmasters. Club players shouldn't slavishly copy the choices of grandmasters. GMs need to squeeze every drop of advantage from the opening and therefore play highly complex lines that require large amounts of memorization. The main necessity for club players is to emerge from the opening with a reasonable position, from which you can simply play chess and pit your own tactical and positional understanding against that of your opponent. Gerard Welling and Steve Giddins recommend the Old Indian-Hanham Philidor set-up as a basis for both Black and White. They provide ideas and strategies that can be learned in the shortest possible time and require the bare minimum of maintenance and updating. They deliver exactly what you need: rock-solid positions that you know how to handle. By adopting a similar set-up for both colours, with similar plans and techniques, you further reduce study time. With this compact and straightforward opening approach, Welling and Giddins argue, club players will have more time to focus on what is really decisive in the vast majority of non-grandmaster games: tactics, positional understanding and endgame technique."
The title is:
"Side-stepping Mainline Theory: Cut Down on Chess Opening Study and Get a Middlegame You are Familiar With"
And this is the description of it:
"The average chess player spends too much time on studying opening theory. In his day, World Champion Emanuel Lasker argued that improving amateurs should spend about 5% of their study time on openings. These days club players are probably closer to 80%, often focusing on opening lines that are popular among grandmasters. Club players shouldn't slavishly copy the choices of grandmasters. GMs need to squeeze every drop of advantage from the opening and therefore play highly complex lines that require large amounts of memorization. The main necessity for club players is to emerge from the opening with a reasonable position, from which you can simply play chess and pit your own tactical and positional understanding against that of your opponent. Gerard Welling and Steve Giddins recommend the Old Indian-Hanham Philidor set-up as a basis for both Black and White. They provide ideas and strategies that can be learned in the shortest possible time and require the bare minimum of maintenance and updating. They deliver exactly what you need: rock-solid positions that you know how to handle. By adopting a similar set-up for both colours, with similar plans and techniques, you further reduce study time. With this compact and straightforward opening approach, Welling and Giddins argue, club players will have more time to focus on what is really decisive in the vast majority of non-grandmaster games: tactics, positional understanding and endgame technique."
Monday, August 20, 2018
News about Mike Basman
Mike Basman was active at the Kingston Rapidplay, 28 July 2018 :
http://chess-results.com/tnr368276.aspx?lan=1&art=4&flag=30
He scored 4 out of 6 with 4 wins and two losses. Beating IM Richard Bates in the last round he secured 3rd on tiebreak.
Here is a link to a picture from this event:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnchess2/41994989250
And another very recent chess news: in October 2018 Mike Basman will play in the invitation 10 round all play all in the Haarlem masters, not the open.
https://www.schaaksite.nl/2018/08/18/basman-en-bosboom-in-vierde-haarlemse-meesters-toernooi/
https://www.haarlemse-meesters.nl/2018/home/
My thanks to IM Gerard Welling for the news.
http://chess-results.com/tnr368276.aspx?lan=1&art=4&flag=30
He scored 4 out of 6 with 4 wins and two losses. Beating IM Richard Bates in the last round he secured 3rd on tiebreak.
Here is a link to a picture from this event:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnchess2/41994989250
And another very recent chess news: in October 2018 Mike Basman will play in the invitation 10 round all play all in the Haarlem masters, not the open.
https://www.schaaksite.nl/2018/08/18/basman-en-bosboom-in-vierde-haarlemse-meesters-toernooi/
https://www.haarlemse-meesters.nl/2018/home/
My thanks to IM Gerard Welling for the news.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
New book on the Hippo by FM De Santis
March 2019 Update
In April 2019 the book will be available in english language as well.
****************
click
here to read a preview
Published Aug. 10 2018
384 pages
algebraic notation
italian language
1st printing limited to 500 copies only
The book can be purchased here
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Baadur Jobava on chess training
Read the full interview here
Question: So you think that a player can improve only by doing what you have suggested above? Don’t you think that a coach is essential?
Jobava's answer: Books are your coach. Botvinnik is your coach. Alekhine is your coach. Having a trainer is good but not everyone can afford it. So many books are available out there, and if you are ready to use your brain then you can learn from them. Coaches will teach you from those very books and charge you money for it. Why do you want to do that?
Jobava's answer: Books are your coach. Botvinnik is your coach. Alekhine is your coach. Having a trainer is good but not everyone can afford it. So many books are available out there, and if you are ready to use your brain then you can learn from them. Coaches will teach you from those very books and charge you money for it. Why do you want to do that?
Friday, February 9, 2018
"The Hippo System" by Eric Briffoz
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Becoming GM...without reading chess books...
From New In Chess Magazine n° 6 - 2017
In the interview GM Eric Hansen wasn't asked how his chess improvement happened...chess software? a trainer? chess videos? no chess study at all but pure talent only?
We are curious...
We are curious...
Friday, June 16, 2017
"The Elshad System" by FM Igor Nemtsev
Following a previous post on the subject, we are happy to report that now it is available a Forward Chess Interactive ebook on the Elshad Opening System, written by FM Nemtsev
The ebook contains analysis of the opening 1.d4 c6 2.c4 d6 followed by Nd7, h6 and g5, from the Black's point of view. Material is sorted into 5 chapters: 1) lines with e4 and f4. 2) lines with g3, Bg2. 3) the classical line e4, Nf3, Be2, 0-0. 4) White plays long 0-0-0. 5) the other lines. This repertoire is really ok for blitz & rapid games mostly. The system has been developed by the player Elshad Mamedov.
Here's the author's preface:
The original book was published in Russia in 2016:
PS At last, if you know the russian language, you may even watch this videos on the opening: by FM Nemtsev
Here's the author's preface:
CONCLUSIONS:
The ebook is highly recommended to the UCO player for his blitz & rapid games.
*****************************************PS At last, if you know the russian language, you may even watch this videos on the opening: by FM Nemtsev
Sunday, June 4, 2017
More on the du Chattel Opening System
A game played in Feb. 2017 by players rated around elo 2400
And this is the position after Black's 5th move:
And this is the position after Black's 5th move:
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