Larsen

Bent Larsen was born in Denmark in 1935 and became one of the leading Western players outside the Soviet bloc during the 1960s and 1970s. He won major events, including the 1967 Sousse Interzonal. An Interzonal was an international qualifying stage that led to the Candidates Tournament, which determined who could challenge the world champion.

Larsen reached the decisive stages of the world championship cycle several times and defeated many champions and leading contenders. His 6-0 loss to Bobby Fischer in the 1971 Candidates semifinal is famous, but it was only one episode in a much broader and highly successful career.

Originality with a purpose

He used a wide range of openings, the early phase of a game, and sought positions that his opponents understood less well, even when his first moves were not the most popular choices. This was not random eccentricity; it was a way to create different problems about piece placement and pawn advances. The written move 1.b3, in algebraic notation, means that on White's first turn the pawn on the b-file, the vertical column marked b, advances one square. It is so closely associated with Larsen that the system is often called Larsen's Opening. His creative independence recalls the tradition of Nimzowitsch, although Larsen developed his own competitive style.