Michael Basman played some tournaments last year, including the 1st EJCOA Forest Hall Invitational in Northumbria, England, a 10-player all-play-all in which Tarun Kanyamarala earned his first IM norm. The 75-year-old Basman scored 2½/9. A photo of round 7 shows him on the far board.
He scored 0/3 against Irish players. His first round loss against David Fitzsimons saw him lost out of the opening, but he should have drawn his second round game against Tarun Kanyamarala (which commenced 1. b4 e5 2. a3). By far the most interesting of these games, though, was his fourth round game against Trisha Kanyamarala, a game he could have won.
This one opened with the Grob, 1. g4.
Position after 25… Qe7
The position after move 25 was no advertisement for this eccentric opening. White has two bad bishops, and two bad knights; the one on h3 has particularly poor prospects. Or so it seems.
35. ?
Nine moves later, the second diagram was reached. Now Basman could have won with the shot 35. Ng6+!! hxg6 36. Qb4, since 36… Bf6 37. hxg6+ Kg8 38. Qf4 is crushing. The change in fortunes for the formerly forlorn knight is startling. (The more prosaic 35. Qb4 also wins; the difference is that it allows the extra defence 35… Rxf4.)
The game’s 35. Qc1? was thus a missed opportunity, but Basman was still slightly better, and (after some further twists and turns) was still equal ten moves later, when he blundered a piece, ultimately losing.