MARK RUBERY CHESS
Bent Larsen (1935-2010) along with Fischer he was the only western GM to seriously challenge the might of the USSR. He participated in seven Candidates matches but Spassky, and later Fischer, blocked his road to the chess throne. He was one of the greatest tournament players racking up numerous victories with his uncompromising style of play. He was a pioneer in the opening phase and was the only strong GM to open a game with such moves as 1 b3 and 1 f4 which are rarely seen at the highest levels. A fierce desire to win along with the ability and patience to grind out long wins in the endgame made many regard him as the complete tournament player.
Larsen,Bent - Portisch,Lajos [C01] Interzonal Amsterdam (15), 1964
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 (This move is not as innocuous as it appears) … exd5 5.Qf3!? (A novelty against the French Winawer from Larsen that has not stood the test of time but succeeds in spectacular fashion on its debut)…Nc6 (5…Qe7+! 6 Be3 Nf6 7 Bd3 c5! is pleasant for Black) 6.Bb5 Nge7 7.Bf4 0–0 8.0–0–0 Na5 9.Nge2 c6 10.Bd3 b5 11.h4 Nc4 12.h5 f6 13.g4 Qa5? (‘Here Portisch probably overlooked an important defensive resource for White. 13… a5! Would have maintained a complicated double-edged position’-Kasparov) 14.Bxc4 dxc4 15.a3! Bxc3 16.Nxc3 Qd8 17.Rhe1 a5? (Now this comes too late) 18.Qg3 Ra7 19.h6! (‘it is not necessary for White to open up lines on this side as the e-file will suffice. But a further weakening of the dark-squares in Black’s position is welcome.’-Larsen)…g6 20.Bd6 Re8 21.Qf4! (‘White has a clearly won position. Would that have happened just as quickly with a theoretical line?’-Larsen)…Kf7 (21…Nd5 22 Nxd5 cxd5 23 Qxf6! Qxf6 24 Rxe8+ Kf7 25 Rf8+ Ke6 26 Re1+!) 22.Be5 f5 23.Bb8 Rb7 24.Qe5 Rg8 25.g5 b4 26.Qf6+ Ke8 27.Qxc6+ Kf7 28.Qf6+ Ke8 29.d5 Rf8 30.Qc6+ Qd7 31.Bd6 Rf7 (31…Qxc6 32 dxc6 Ra7 33 Nd5 Rf7 34 c7 wins) 32.Bxe7 bxc3 33.Bb4+ 1–0
‘Larsen was one of the most colourful players of the 20th century. That was an era of personalities! I think that figures such as Bent Larsen are very much needed by the chess world: without them it becomes grey and boring. Look at the present super-grandmasters: where is it now that Larsen-like colour? And creators of the level of Larsen, for all their competitive deficiencies, have always stood out from the general mass, playing real chess and pushing it forward.’ (Garry Kasparov)