Chess great Bent Larsen dies

[Jack Rabbit]

From ChessBase.com
Dated Friday, September 10

Chess legend Bent Larsen dies at 75

The best Danish chess player of all time, Bent Larsen, died yesterday, Thursday September 9th, 2010, after a short illness. He had suffered for a number of years from diabetes, but it is not yet known whether this was the cause of his death. In the latter part of his life Larsen resided in Buenos Aires with his Argentinian wife Marta. He will always be remembered.

Jørgen Bent Larsen was born in Thisted, Denmark, on March 4th, 1935. He was the greatest chess player his country has ever produced, and was among the top ten in the world for fifteen years. He started slowly, but in 1954 at the age of 19 he won the Danish championship, and did it again every time he entered for the next ten years. He also became an International Master in 1954. He played for his country at the Olympiads and in 1956 obtained Gold for his +11 =6 –1 on board one. That earned him the title of International Grandmaster and the suspicion of the Soviet chess functionaries as the first Western player to present a serious challenge to their dominance.

Read more at the link.




Bent Larsen
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Bent Larsen - Tigran Petrosian
Second Piagorsky Cup, Round 7
Santa Monica, July 1966

Open Sicilian Game: Accelerated Dragon Defense (Maroczy Opening)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Be3

• If 5.Nc3 Bg7 then:
• If 6.Nb3 Nf6 7.Be2 d6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Re1 then:
• If 9...Be6 then:
• If 10.Bg5 then:
• If 10...a5 then:
• If 11.a3 a4 12.Nd2 Ra5 13.Be3 d5 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Rxd5 16.c3 Ne5 17.Bd4 Rxd4!? 18.cxd4 Qxd4 is unclear: Black has only a pawn for the exchange, but her pieces are more active (Vachier Lagrave-Dzagnidze, Op, Gibraltar, 2009).
• 11.Bb5 Ne5 12.h3 Rc8 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.exd5 a4 15.Bxa4 Nc4 16.Rb1 Qb6 17.Nd2 Nxb2 18.Qf3 gives White the advantage in space and greater activity (Geller-Knoppert, IT, Berlin, 1991).
• If 10...Rc8 11.Bf1 Ne5 12.Nd5 then:
• If 12...Bxd5 13.exd5 Qd7 then:
• If 14.c3 Nc4 15.Bxc4 Rxc4 16.Qf3 h6 17.Be3 Ra4 18.Bd4 Qb5 19.Red1 Rc8 20.Bxf6 exf6 21.Qe3 is equal (Trygstad-Dannevig, Norwegian Ch, Kristiansund, 2001).
• 14.h3 h6 15.Be3 a6 16.a4 Qc7 17.Re2 Rfe8 18.a5 Nfd7 19.Bd4 e6 20.dxe6 Rxe6 is equal (Moreno-Daskevics, World Youth, Oropesa del Mar, 2001).
• If 12...Nc4 then:
• 13.Bxc4 Rxc4 14.Qd3 Bxd5 15.exd5 Qc8 16.c3 Re8 17.Re2 Ra4 18.h3 Qc4 19.Qxc4 Rxc4 20.Rd1 Ra4 21.Nc1 Ne4 is equal (Arzumanian-Zubarev, Ukrainian ChT, Alushta, 2000).
• 13.Nxf6+ exf6 14.Bc1 f5 15.exf5 Bxf5 16.Nd4 Bd7 17.c3 d5 18.Qf3 Bc6 19.b3 Ne5 20.Qg3 Re8 21.Bf4 gives White the advantage in space (Vombek-Jeric, Slovakian Ch, Grize, 2001).
• If 10.Bf1 then:
• 10...Re8 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 Nb4 13.c4 Qd7 14.a3 Na6 15.Be3 Nc7 16.Rc1 e6 17.dxe6 Nxe6 18.Qf3 Qa4 19.Nd4 gives White more space and activity (Linares-Partac, OlW, Dresden, 2008).
• 10...d5 11.Nc5 Bg4 12.f3 d4 13.Ne2 Bc8 14.Nb3 Qb6 15.Nf4 e5 16.Nd3 Ne8 17.c3 Nd6 18.cxd4 Nb5 19.Be3 Nbxd4 20.Nxd4 Nxd4 21.f4 exf4 22.Nxf4 Qd6 is equal (Lekic-Kovacevic, Yugoslav Ch ½-final, Kladovo, 1994).
• If 9...a6 10.Bf1 b5 then:
• If 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 then:
• 12...Nd7 13.Rb1 Nb6 14.Nd5 g5 15.Bg3 Nc4 16.c3 e6 17.Ne3 N4e5 18.f3 Bb7 19.Qd2 Qc7 20.Rbd1 Rad8 is equal (Schmaltz-Kotronias, Op, Athens, 2003).
• 12...Bb7 13.a4 b4 14.Nd5 Nd7 15.Rb1 Nb6 16.Qd2 Nxa4 17.Nxb4 Nxb4 18.Qxb4 Bc6 19.e5 Qb8 20.Qa3 g5 21.Bg3 dxe5 22.Nd4 give White more space and freedom (Gelfand-Kramnik, IT, Novgorod, 1996).
• 11.Nd5 Nd7 12.c3 e6 13.Ne3 Nb6 14.g3 Bb7 15.f4 Qc7 16.Bg2 Rad8 17.Nd4 Rfe8 18.h4 e5 19.Nxc6 Bxc6 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.exd5 Nc4 gives Black the best minor piece on the board in the Knight (Lenic-Kovacevic, Op, Bled, 2002).
• If 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Bb3 then:
• If 8...d6 then:
• If 9.f3 Bd7 10.Qd2 then:
• If 10...Nxd4 11.Bxd4 b5 12.h4 a5 then:
• If 13.a4 bxa4 14.Nxa4 then:
• 14...e5 15.Be3 Be6 16.Nb6 Rb8 17.Qxa5 Bxb3 18.cxb3 d5 19.Nxd5 Nxd5 20.Qxd5 Qxd5 21.exd5 Rxb3 22.Bc5 Rc8 23.Ba3 e4 24.0-0 draw (Liberzon-Adorjan, TMatch, Moscow, 1971).
• If 14...Be6 15.Nb6 Ra6 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.exd5 Qc7 18.Ra4 Rb8 19.Kf2 h5 20.Re1 Ne8 21.Bxg7 Nxg7 22.g4 Qd8 23.Kg2 Ra7 24.Qe3 Rab7 25.Re4 Rb4 is equal (Shirov-Topalov, FIDE Knock Out, Moscow, 2001).
• 13.h5 a4 14.Bd5 e5 15.Be3 b4 16.Ne2 Nxd5 17.exd5 Rc8 18.c3 bxc3 19.Nxc3 a3 20.bxa3 e4 is equal (Gresser-Rubtsova, Interzonal W, Ohrid, 1971).
• If 10...Rc8 11.0-0-0 Ne5 then:
• 12.h4 h5 13.Bg5 Rc5 14.Kb1 b5 15.g4 a5 16.gxh5 a4 17.h6 Bh8 18.h7+ Nxh7 19.Bd5 b4 20.Nce2 Nxg5 21.hxg5 e6 22.Nf4 Bg7 23.Ndxe6 Bxe6 24.Nxe6 fxe6 25.Bxe6+ Nf7 26.Qh2 Re8 is equal (Amonotov-Le Quang Liem, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2008).
• 12.Kb1 Nc4 13.Bxc4 Rxc4 14.g4 b5 15.b3 Rc8 16.Ndxb5 Qa5 17.a4 a6 18.Nd5 Qxd2 19.Nxe7+ Kh8 20.Rxd2 Rce8 21.Nxg6+ fxg6 22.Nxd6 Re6 23.Bc5 Bc6 24.Nc4 Rb8 25.Rd6 Rxd6 26.Bxd6 gives White four pawns for a minor piece (Bologan-Fedorov, IT, Calcutta, 1999).
• 9.h3 Bd7 10.0-0 Qa5 11.f4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bc6 13.Qd3 Rad8 14.Rad1 Nd7 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Qd4+ Nf6 17.Kh2 e5 18.fxe5 Qxe5+ 19.Kg1 a6 20.Rd3 Rd7 21.Rfd1 Rfd8 22.a3 h5 23.R3d2 h4 24.Rd3 Re8 25.Bd5 Qxd4+ 26.Rxd4 Bxd5 27.exd5 g5 is equal (I. Smirin-Lutz, Zonal, Dresden, 1998).
• If 8...a5 9.f3 d5 then:
• If 10.Bxd5 Nxd5 then:
• 11.Nxd5 f5 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Nb6 Rb8 14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.Rd1 Rxd1+ 16.Kxd1 fxe4 17.Nxc8 Rxc8 18.b3 exf3 19.gxf3 a4 20.Ke2 Ra8 is equal (Landa-Kuzubov, Euro ChT, Rethymnon, 2003).
• 11.exd5 Nb4 12.Nde2 Bf5 13.Rc1 b5 14.0-0 Rc8 15.Nd4 Bxd4 16.Qxd4 Nxc2 17.Rxc2 Bxc2 18.Bh6 e5 19.Qxe5 f6 20.Qe6+ Rf7 21.Ne4 Bxe4 22.fxe4 Qd7 23.Qxd7 Rxd7 24.Rxf6 Re8 25.Kf2 draw (DeFirmian-Pigusov, World Cup, Moscow, 1989).
• 10.exd5 Nb4 11.Nde2 a4 12.Nxa4 Nfxd5 13.Bf2 Bf5 14.0-0 b5 15.Nac3 Nxc3 16.Nxc3 Qxd1 17.Rfxd1 Bxc2 18.Bxc2 Nxc2 19.Rac1 Bxc3 20.Rxc2 Bf6 draw (Shirov-Lautier,IT, Tilburg, 1997).

5...Bg7 6.c4

• 6.Nc3 transposes to Liberzhon-Adorjan and related game in the notes to White's 5th move.

6...Nf6 7.Nc3 Ng4

• If 7...0-0 8.Be2 then:
• If 8...d6 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 a5 13.b3 Nd7 14.Be3 Nc5 then:
• If 15.Rab1 Qb6 16.Rfc1 Rfc8 17.Rc2 Qd8 18.Bf1 h5 19.a3 Kh7 20.b4 axb4 21.axb4 Ne6 22.Nd5 Ra3 then:
• If 23.Kh1 Rca8 24.f4 Ra1 then:
• 25.Rbc1 Qh8 26.Bd3 Bxd5 27.exd5 Nd4 28.Bxd4 Bxd4 29.g3 is equal (Stubberud-E. Lie, Norwegian Ch, Moss, 2006).
• 23.Bb6 Qf8 24.Bf2 Rca8 25.Nb6 Ra1 26.Rxa1 Rxa1 27.b5 Be8 28.Qd5 gives White the advantage in space (Johannessen-K. Lie, Norwegian Ch, Molde, 2004).
• If 15.Rac1 Qb6 16.Nb5 Rfc8 17.Rfd1 Qd8 then:
• 18.Bf1 Qf8 19.Nc3 b6 20.Nd5 Rab8 21.Rb1 Rb7 22.b4 axb4 23.Rxb4 Bxd5 24.cxd5 Ra8 25.Rdb1 Qd8 gives White the advantage in space (DeFirmian-M. Petursson, IT, Reggio Emilia, 1989-90).
• 18.Nd4 Qf8 19.Rb1 Bf6 20.a3 Qg7 21.b4 gives White the advantage in space (Dr. Nunn-Velimirovic, Ol, Dubai, 1986).
• If 8...b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.f3 then:
• If 10...e6 then:
• If 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Qd6 Ne8 13.Qd2 then:
• 13...f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Rac1 Qh4 16.b4 Rf7 17.Bf4 Nf6 18.Bg5 Qh5 19.Nb5 gives White a slight advantage in space (W. Schmidt-Balcerowski, Polish ChT, Augustow, 1975).
• 13...Qe7 14.Rfd1 f5 15.exf5 gxf5 16.Rac1 gives neither side a great advantage (W. Schmidt-Jacek, IT, Poznan, 1987).
• 11.Qd2 d5 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.cxd5 exd5 14.e5 Ne8 15.f4 f6 16.Rad1 Nc7 17.Bd4 fxe5 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 19.fxe5 is equal (Saric-Predojevic, Op, Pula, 2005).
• If 10...Rc8 11.Qd2 then:
• 11...Nh5 12.Rfd1 Ne5 13.b3 f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Qc2 Qe8 16.Nxf5 Nxf3+ 17.Bxf3 Bxf3 18.Nxg7 Bxd1 19.Nxe8 Bxc2 20.Nc7 Rxc7 21.Nd5 Rb7 22.Nxe7+ Kf7 23.Nd5 White resigns(Kreiman-Taylor, World Op, Philadelphia, 1992).
• 11...d6 12.Rac1 a6 13.Rfd1 Nd7 14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.b4 Re8 16.Bf1 Bb7 is equal (Timoshchenko-Skembris, Op, Bozen, 1998).
• 25.Rxa1 Rxa1 26.Rc1 Qa8 27.Bd3 Nd4 28.Rxa1 Qxa1+ 29.Qc1 Qa4 30.Nxe7 Qxb4 31.f5 gives White the more active game (Zawadzka-Sikorova, World ChTW, Ekaterinburg, 2007).

8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 Ne6

• If 9...e5 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 d6 then:
• If 12.Qd2 Be6 then:
• 13.Rac1 a6 14.b3 Rc8 15.f3 Qa5 16.Rfd1 f5 17.exf5 Nxf5 18.Be4 gives White a slight edge in space (Tal-Partos, Ol, Nice, 1974).
• 13.Rad1 a6 14.b3 Qc7 15.Bxd4 exd4 16.Ne2 Bg4 17.f3 Bd7 18.Bb1 gives White more freedom (Leseige-Dzindzichashvili, Op, New York, 1993).
• If 12.Rc1 Be6 13.b3 a6 14.Bb1 then:
• 14...Rb8 15.Kh1 b5 16.cxb5 axb5 17.Qd3 b4 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.exd5 Qa5 gives Black a small advantage in space (Smyslov-Botvinnik, Alekhine Mem, Moscow, 1956).
• 14...b5 15.cxb5 Nxb5 16.Nxb5 axb5 17.Rc6 d5 18.exd5 draw (Gulko-Seirawan, US Ch, Key West, 1994).

10.Qd2 d6

• If 10...Qa5 11.Rc1 b6 then:
• 12.Be2 Bb7 13.f3 h5 14.0-0 g5 15.Rfd1 d6 16.Nd5 Qxd2 17.Rxd2 h4 18.b4 Be5 19.a4 f6 20.Ra2 Kf7 is equal (W. Schmidt-Kuczynski, Polish Ch, Slupsk, 1988).
• 12.Bd3 Bb7 13.0-0 g5 14.Rfd1 d6 15.Nd5 Qxd2 16.Rxd2 Rc8 17.Rcd1 Bd4 18.Bxd4 Nxd4 is equal (Henriksson-Molander, Op, Molander, 2000).

11.Be2 Bd7 12.0-0

• If 12.Rc1 Qa5 13.0-0 Bc6 14.f3 g5 then:
• If 15.a3 Be5 16.b4 Qxa3 17.b5 Bd7 18.Nd5 Rg8 then:
• 19.Rc2 Bf4 20.Nxf4 gxf4 21.Bf2 Nc5 is equal (Litinskaya-Sedina, Yugoslav ChT, Cetinje, 1992).
• 19.Kh1 Rc8 20.g3 Bh8 draw (Coleman-Movsisyan, Op, Stillwater, 2006).
• 15.b3 h5 16.Nd5 Qxd2 17.Bxd2 Bd4+ 18.Kh1 a5 19.Rfd1 Bc5 20.Bc3 is equal (Mohd OImar-van den Berg, IT, Vlissingen, 2007).

12...0-0 13.Rad1

• If 13.Rac1 Bc6 then:
• If 14.f3 a5 15.b3 Nc5 16.Rfd1 Qb6 then:
• 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Rfc8 19.Rc2 Qb4 20.Rdc1 Qxd2 21.Rxd2 gives White a more active game (Adam-Boehmer, Keres Mem, Vancouver, 2001).
• 17.Rb1 Qb4 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.exd5 Rfe8 20.Bf1 e6 21.dxe6 Rxe6 22.Bf2 Rae8 23.g3 Qxd2 24.Rxd2 gives White fewer pawn weaknesses and an attack on Black's weak d-pawn (Green-K. Lie, Op, Helsingør, 2007).
• 14.Rfd1 Nc5 15.f3 a5 16.b3 Qb6 17.Nb5 Rac8 is equal (Keres-Petrosian, Candidates' Trmt, Bled, 1959).

13...Bc6 14.Nd5

• 14.Bh6 a6 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.b4 b5 17.cxb5 axb5 18.Bxb5 Bxb5 19.Nxb5 gives White an extra pawn (Gligoric-Pomar, ZT, Madrid, 1960).

14...Re8!?

• 14...Nc5 15.f3 a5 16.Bd4 Bxd4+ 17.Qxd4 e5 18.Qd2 gives White a small advantage in space (Porat-Larsen, ITZ, Amsterdam, 1964).

15.f4

• White has an advantage in space.

15...Nc7

• If 15...Nc5 16.e5 Na6 then:
• After 17.Qe1 Bxd5 18.Rxd5 Qc8 19.Qg3 Nb4 20.Rb5 White continues to enjoy the advantage in space.
• 17.Bd4!? dxe5! 18.Bxe5 f6 is again equal.

16.f5 Na6 17.Bg4

• 17.b4 e6 18.f6 Bxd5 19.cxd5 Bxf6 20.Bb5 gives Black a more active game.

17...Nc5 18.fxg6 hxg6!?

• In most situations, one wants to "capture toward the center." However, White has too many heavy pieces that can be used in a kingside attack, and Black will want to keep the h-file closed.
• If 18...fxg6 19.Bxc5 dxc5 20.Qf2 then:
• 20...Qd6 21.Nb6 Bd4 22.Rxd4 cxd4 23.Nxa8 Rxa8 24.Qf3 is equal.
• 20...Qa5 21.a3 Kh8 22.b4 Qxa3 23.Qxc5 gives White the advantage in space.

19.Qf2!

• This compels Black to bring his Rook back to f8.

19...Rf8 20.e5!?

• White has the right idea, but goes about it the wrong way.
• 20.Bxc5! dxc5 21.Qxc5 Bxd5 22.Rxd5 Qb6 23.Qf2 gives White an extra pawn.

20...Bxe5!

• Black could have easily gone wrong here, too.
• 20...Bxd5!? 21.Rxd5! f5 22.exf6 Rxf6 23.Bf3 Qb6 24.Qd2 gives White the advantage in space.

21.Qh4

• The game is equal.
• 21.Bxc5 dxc5 22.Qxc5 Bd6 23.Nf6+ Kh8 24.Qf2 Qb6 is equal.

21...Bxd5 22.Rxd5 Ne6 23.Rf3 Bf6?

• Even the greatest defesive player of the twentieth century is entitled to miss an embryonic attack once in a while.
• 23...f5 24.Rh3 Kf7 25.Qf2 Bf6 26.Be2 remains equal.

24.Qh6!

• This is the best move. The exchange sacrifice at f6 clearly fails.

24...Bg7 25.Qxg6!

• White finds the only winning continuation.
• 25.Qh4!? f5! 26.Bh3 g5 27.Bxg5 Nxg5 28.Qxg5 e6 is equal.

25...Nf4

• If 25...fxg6 26.Bxe6+! Rf7 27.Bxf7+ Kf8 28.Bxg6+ then:
• 28...Bf6 29.Rh5! Qc7 30.Rxf6+ exf6 31.Rh8+ wins the Queen for White.
• If 28...Kg8 29.Bf7+ Kf8 30.Be6+ Ke8 31.Rg3 then:
• If 31...Qc8 then after 32.Bxc8 Rxc8 33.Rxg7 Rxc4 34.Bg5 White is up by two pieces.
• If 31...Qb8 then after 32.Rxg7 White recovers the Queen.

BLACK: Tigran Petrosian
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$+ +r+ + %
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/(((((((()
WHITE: Bent Larsen
Position after 25...Ne6f4

26.Rxf4!!

• The Queen sacrifice opens all roads leading the the Black King.

26...fxg6 27.Be6+ Rf7

• If 27...Kh7 28.Rh4+ Bh6 29.Bxh6 Rf5 30.Rxf5! then:
• 30...gxf5 31.Bxf5+ Kg8 32.Be6+ Kh7 33.Bf7 Qb6+ 34.Kf1 Black must either submit to immediate mate or surrender his Queen.
• If 30...g5 then after 31.Bxg5+ Kg7 32.Be3 Qe8 33.Bd4+ Kg6 34.Rhh5 White mates on the next move.

28.Rxf7 Kh8 29.Rg5 b5 30.Rg3 1-0

• Black must lose his Queen or submit to mate.
• Tigran Vartanovich resigns.

[madinmaryland]

1. Welcome to the Sports Forum, Jack Rabbit!

Hope you had a good summer!