Larsen




Larsen is a very groovy chess player. Here are some of his games against big name players. I have lightly annotated them.


White: Bobby Fischer!
Black: Larsen

1. E2-E4 E7-E5 2. G1-F3 B8-C6 3. F1-B5 A7-A6 4. B5-A4 G8-F6 5. E1-G1 F6-E4

This is the open variation of the Spanish or Ruy Lopez. 5. ... B7-B5 6. A4-B3 D7-D6 is the closed variation and leaves black with fewer weaknesses but perhaps also less activity.

6. D2-D4 B7-B5 7. A4-B3 D7-D5 8. D4-E5 C8-E6 9. C2-C3 F8-C5 10. B1-D2

Logically trying to illimanate black's most dangerous looking piece.

10. ... E8-G8 11. B3-C2 E6-F5 12. D2-B3 F5-G4 13. B3-C5 E4-C5 14. F1-E1 F8-E8 15. C1-E3 C5-E6 16. D1-D3 G7-G6 17. E3-H6 C6-E7 18. F3-D4 G4-F5 19. D4-F5 E7-F5

Black has voluntarily ceded the bishop pair which looks strange, but his knigts are working quite well here. Both are helping to cover the dark squares around black's king and the e6 knight, blockading the white e-pawn, is very naturally placed.

20. H6-D2 D8-H4 21. D3-F1 E6-C5 22. G2-G3 H4-C4 23. F1-G2 C5-D3 24. C2-D3 C4-D3 25. D2-G5 C7-C6 26. G3-G4

This looks over ambitious. 26. A1-D1 looks more sensible.

26. ... F5-G7 27. E1-E3 D3-D2 28. B2-B3 B5-B4 29. G2-H3?

White's attack looks dangerous with Q-h6, Bf6, and Rh3. But it is not dangerous enough!

29. ... B4-C3 30. H3-H6 G7-E6

Black's queen and knight cover everything. Clearly if Rh3 then Nxg5, and if Bf6 then the rook on e3 is pinned against whites queen (in the sense that the exchange after Rh3 QxQ RxQ would leave white hoplessly lost).

Fischer Resigned.


White: Larsen
Black: Spassky!

1. F2-F4 D7-D5 2. G1-F3 G8-F6 3. E2-E3 G7-G6 4. B2-B4

A very interesting variation of Birds opening. 4. B2-B3 would be more normal.

4. ... F8-G7 5. C1-B2 E8-G8 6. F1-E2 C8-G4 7. E1-G1 C7-C6 8. A2-A4

White intends immediate activity on the queenside. It is interesting that in the Dutch (1. d4 f5,) black very rarely takes much interest in the queenside and usually concentrates on generating a kingside attack.

8. ... B8-D7 9. B1-A3 G4-F3 10. E2-F3 F8-E8 11. D2-D4 F6-E4 12. F3-E4 D5-E4 13. A3-C4 D7-B6 14. C4-A5

In fact, this is quite an effective square for the knight (temporarily). The pressure on b7 and c6 is annoying for black.

14. ... B6-D5 15. D1-E1 D8-D7 16. C2-C4 D5-F6 17. B4-B5 D7-C7 18. A1-B1 F6-G4 19. B5-C6 B7-B6 20. E1-E2 F7-F5 21. A5-B3 C7-C6 22. D4-D5 C6-A4 23. B2-G7 G8-G7 24. B3-D4

White's knight is heading for e6, an excellent outpost. This outpost alone is adequate compensation for the pawn. In addition the weakened dark squares around black's king should give white attacking chances there.

24. ... E8-C8 25. H2-H3 G4-F6 26. F1-C1 A4-D7 27. G2-G4 G7-F7 28. G4-G5 F6-E8 29. E2-A2 E8-D6 30. H3-H4 D7-E8 31. D4-E6 E8-H8

Trying to control the important long diagonal.

32. H4-H5 H7-H6 33. B1-B2

Another pawn sacrifice.

33. ... G6-H5 34. B2-H2 H6-G5 35. E6-G5 F7-E8 36. C4-C5

And another!

36. ... C8-C5 37. C1-C5 B6-C5

Black is three pawns up but his king is exposed and his pieces are ill placed to offer assistance. White has a bind on the position and now takes his time prodding at the black position until he is able to force a concession.

38. A2-A4 E8-F8 39. H2-G2 A8-E8 40. A4-D7 H8-H6 41. D7-A7 H6-H8 42. A7-D7 H8-H6 43. G5-E6 F8-F7 44. E6-G5 F7-F8 45. G1-H2 H5-H4 46. G5-E6 F8-F7 47. E6-G5 F7-F8 48. H2-H3 C5-C4 49. G5-E6 F8-F7 50. E6-G5 F7-F8 51. G2-G1 C4-C3

This looks like a mistake because it allows white to exchange queens and win the c-pawn. However, black's position in amazingly zugzwang. Moving the rook allows N-e6+ Kf7, Rg7+ followed by Qxe7, Moving the knight drops the f5 pawn, and Qh8 allows Qe6 threatening Q-g6 and Ne6.

52. D7-E6 H6-E6 53. D5-E6

Threatening Nh7.

53. ... F8-G7 54. G5-E4 G7-H6 55. E4-C3 D6-E4 56. C3-E4 F5-E4 57. H3-H4 E8-A8 58. F4-F5 A8-A2 59. G1-G8 A2-F2 60. G8-F8

Spassky resigned.


White: Petrosian!
Black: Larsen

1. C2-C4 G8-F6 2. B1-C3 G7-G6 3. G2-G3 F8-G7 4. F1-G2 E8-G8 5. D2-D4 D7-D6 6. E2-E3

Not a particularly dangerous line.

6. ... C7-C6 7. G1-E2 A7-A5 8. B2-B3 B8-A6 9. E1-G1 E7-E5 10. C1-B2 F8-E8 11. A2-A3 A8-B8 12. H2-H3 H7-H5 13. D1-C2 C8-E6 14. G1-H2 D8-C7 15. A1-C1 B7-B5 16. C4-B5 C6-B5 17. C2-D1 C7-E7 18. C3-B1 E6-D7 19. B1-D2 E5-E4 20. E2-F4 D6-D5 21. D1-E2 E7-D6 22. C1-C2 E8-C8 23. F1-C1 C8-C2 24. C1-C2 H5-H4 25. D2-F1 H4-G3 26. F2-G3 B5-B4 27. A3-A4 B8-C8 28. C2-C8 D7-C8 29. H3-H4

I don't like this move. It weakens white's kingside too much. White is a little cramped in this position but if he had just sat tight I think he would have been ok.

29. ... A6-C7 30. G2-H3

I don't like this move either. It leaves white with only a bad bishop and swaps off one of white's most useful defenders of the light squares on the kingside.

30. ... C8-H3 31. F4-H3 G7-F8 32. H2-G2 D6-C6 33. E2-D1 F8-D6 34. H3-F2 C7-E6 35. B2-C1 E6-G7 36. C1-D2 G7-F5 37. G2-H3 C6-C8 38. H3-G2 G8-G7 39. F2-H1 F5-H6 40. D2-E1 C8-A6 41. H1-F2 H6-F5 42. D1-D2 D6-B8 43. F2-D1 F6-G4 44. G2-G1 F7-F6 45. G1-G2 G6-G5 46. D1-F2 G4-H6 47. H4-G5 F6-G5 48. F2-D1 G7-G6 49. F1-H2 G5-G4

Lots of shuffling has lead to this position in which black really does have a bind on the position. It is only a matter of time before black organises his pieces to take advantage of white's lack of space and bad bishop.

50. D2-C2 B8-D6 51. H2-F1 H6-G8 52. F1-H2 G8-F6 53. H2-F1 G6-H5 54. F1-H2 H5-G5 55. H2-F1 F6-H5 56. E1-F2 H5-F6 57. F2-E1 F6-H5 58. E1-F2 A6-A8 59. F2-E1 A8-H8

Black allows white's queen into his position but black's queen getting to the kingside is more important.

60. C2-C6 D6-G3 61. E1-G3 H5-G3

Invasion on the h-file and the passed g-pawn mean that white's position is hopeless.


Petrosian resigned.


Conclusion

It is clear that Larsen could play with great accuracy but also possessed superb positional understanding. These games particularly show his ability to achieve binds on his opponent's position allowing him to slowly reposition his pieces and then finally break through.


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