Bent Larsen
Notable Games

Bent Larsen

20 celebrated games · 1205 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1205 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1960.08.15 Larsen, Bent vsGeller, Efim P 1-0 Hungarian Opening 39 moves Copenhagen Nimzowitsch Memorial Copenhagen 1960 (Nimzowitsch Memorial). An early giant-killing: with the offbeat Hungarian Opening (1.g3) Larsen hunts down Efim Geller's king, the knight romp 30.Nf6+ and 39.Qa5+ closing the net. On his chessgames notable list.
  • 1964.06.19 Larsen, Bent vsSpassky, Boris Vasilievich 1-0 Bird Opening: Dutch Variation 60 moves Interzonal-06 Amsterdam Interzonal 1964. Larsen knocks off future World Champion Boris Spassky with his beloved offbeat Bird's Opening (1.f4) — the sort of theory-shunning choice that became his trademark.
  • 1964.06.08 Larsen, Bent vsPortisch, Lajos 1-0 French Defense: Winawer Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation 33 moves Interzonal-06 Amsterdam Interzonal 1964. A French Winawer win over Lajos Portisch, Larsen's central break (29.d5) and queen raid forcing resignation, 33.Bb4+. On his chessgames notable list.
  • 1965.07.23 Larsen, Bent vsTal, Mikhail 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Benko Attack 41 moves Candidates sf Tal-Larsen +3-2=5 Candidates semifinal 1965. A King's Indian win over former World Champion Mikhail Tal, from their ten-game battle of attackers.
  • 1965.04.18 Larsen, Bent vsMatanovic, Aleksandar 1-0 Catalan Opening: Closed 32 moves Zagreb Peace Zagreb 1965. A crisp 32-move win over Aleksandar Matanović, 31.Nxe6 and 32.Nh6+ deciding. On his chessgames notable list.
  • 1966.07.27 Larsen, Bent vsPetrosian, Tigran V 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind, Breyer Variation 30 moves Piatigorsky-Cup 2nd 2nd Piatigorsky Cup, Santa Monica 1966. Larsen's daring queen sacrifice (25.Qxg6!) against reigning World Champion Tigran Petrosian — Be6+ and the rooks crashing through to 30.Rg3. He beat Petrosian in both their games that tournament.
  • 1966.08.14 Larsen, Bent vsReshevsky, Samuel Herman 1-0 Benoni Defense: Hromádka System 45 moves Piatigorsky-Cup 2nd 2nd Piatigorsky Cup, Santa Monica 1966. A Benoni win over the veteran American star Samuel Reshevsky, from the tournament that announced Larsen among the world elite.
  • 1970.04 Larsen, Bent vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 1-0 English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line 47 moves Leiden Leiden 1970. An English-Opening win over the great Mikhail Botvinnik — one more former World Champion for the giant-killer's collection.
  • 1970.11.20 Fischer, Robert James vsLarsen, Bent 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Leonhardt Variation 55 moves Interzonal-08 Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970. Larsen (Black) inflicts Bobby Fischer's only loss of the Interzonal Fischer otherwise dominated — a Sicilian Sozin ground down to a won endgame. On his chessgames notable list.
  • 1970.10.20 Taimanov, Mark E vsLarsen, Bent 0-1 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Berlin Variation, Pirc Variation 34 moves Vinkovci Vinkovci 1970. A sharp Black win over Mark Taimanov during Larsen's peak year, the passed g-pawn queening (33…g1=Q+) to force resignation. On his chessgames notable list.
  • 1970 Larsen, Bent vsKavalek, Lubomir 1-0 Nimzo-Larsen Attack: English Variation 33 moves Lugano Lugano 1970. A win in Larsen's signature 1.b3 (the Nimzo-Larsen Attack that bears his name) over Lubomir Kavalek, a kingside assault ending 33.Rh7+.
  • 1971.05.13 Larsen, Bent vsUhlmann, Wolfgang 1-0 Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, with g3 44 moves Candidates qf Larsen-Uhlmann +4-2=2 Candidates quarter-final 1971. A win over the French-Defence specialist Wolfgang Uhlmann from the match Larsen won (+4−2) to reach the Candidates semifinals.
  • 1972.06.12 Larsen, Bent vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Reversed Spanish 77 moves Las Palmas-01 Las Palmas 1972. A 77-move win over former World Champion Vasily Smyslov, Larsen's endgame technique prevailing.
  • 1973.11.02 Larsen, Bent vsNajdorf, Miguel 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Traditional Line 42 moves Manila International Manila 1973. A King's Indian win over the legendary Miguel Najdorf.
  • 1980.09.21 Karpov, Anatoly vsLarsen, Bent 0-1 Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Center Variation 66 moves Interpolis-04 Tilburg 1980. Larsen (Black) beats reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov in a Petroff, grinding out the endgame with queenside passed pawns.
  • 1963 Robatsch, Karl vsLarsen, Bent 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Bird Variation 31 moves Zonal Halle Halle/Saale 1963 — a 31-move win with Black against Karl Robatsch. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 34 (PDF page 315).
  • 1964.06.15 Bronstein, David Ionovich vsLarsen, Bent 0-1 King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Main Line 30 moves Interzonal-06 Amsterdam 1964, Interzonal — a 30-move win with Black against David Ionovich Bronstein. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 36 (PDF page 325).
  • 1965.07.01 Ivkov, Borislav vsLarsen, Bent 0-1 Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation, Larsen Variation 31 moves Candidates qf Larsen-Ivkov +4-1=3 Bled 1965, Candidates match game 4 — a 31-move win with Black against Borislav Ivkov. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 43 (PDF page 378).
  • 1967.09.07 Gligoric, Svetozar vsLarsen, Bent 0-1 Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, with Ne4 28 moves Capablanca Memorial-05 Havana 1967 — a 28-move win with Black against Svetozar Gligoric. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 39 (PDF page 348).
  • 1971.05 Uhlmann, Wolfgang vsLarsen, Bent 0-1 Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation, Larsen Variation 36 moves Candidates qf Larsen-Uhlmann +4-2=2 Las Palmas 1971, Candidates match game 6 — a 36-move win with Black against Wolfgang Uhlmann. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 47 (PDF page 401).
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