Ghulam Kassim
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Ghulam Kassim (birth date unknown, died Madras 1844) was an Indian chess player and author of the early 19th century, best known today for a variation of the King's Gambit that bears his name. In colonial India, several native forms of chess were popular; Ghulam Kassim was one of the first Indian players to achieve a degree of proficiency at the western form of the game. Almost nothing is known about his life; Howard Staunton noted in the Illustrated London News of 26 April 1845 that he had died "within the last few months".
Ghulam Kassim was a leading member of the Madras Chess Club. In 1828 and 1829, Madras played two correspondence games against the Hyderabad Chess Club. These are the earliest recorded games from India played according to western rules, and are among the earliest recorded correspondence games. The Hyderabad team was led by a strong player named Shah Sahib who unfortunately died soon after the match began; his replacement Row Sahib was considered much inferior.[1] Under the leadership of Ghulam Kassim, Madras won both games.
