Bent Larsen's Best Games: Fighting Chess with the Great Dane by Bent Larsen

Bent Larsen's Best Games: Fighting Chess with the Great Dane by Bent Larsen

"Bent Larsen's Best Games" (originally published in 1970 as Larsen's Selected Games of Chess 1948–69) is a legendary collection written by the iconic Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen.

During an era completely dominated by the hyper-prepared, systematic Soviet chess school, Larsen was a dazzling, romantic iconoclast. He was the ultimate chess optimist—a fiercely independent warrior who actively detested short, grandmaster-directed draws and played every game to win, regardless of who sat across the board. His collection of games is widely considered a literary masterpiece because Larsen wrote without a ghostwriter. He shares his highly individualistic, honest, and wonderfully witty thoughts directly with the reader, unmasking the intense psychological battles behind his creative choices.

Key Conceptual Takeaways

The Power of Absolute Optimism

Larsen writes extensively about the psychological value of playing with supreme confidence. He noticed that many players lost to Soviet grandmasters before the game even started out of pure intimidation. Larsen treated every opponent as a human being who would make mistakes under intense pressure, a mindset that allowed him to bounce back from crushing losses faster than almost any contemporary.

The Legacy of 1.b3

The opening move $1.b3$ is officially dubbed Larsen’s Opening in his honor. By developing the queen's bishop to b2 early, White strikes a long-distance diagonal blow against Black's kingside. While modern computer engines view it as slightly less forcing than $1.e4$ or $1.d4$, Larsen proved it is an incredibly effective practical weapon at the highest levels of tournament play.

Language: English.

Genre: Chess Book.

Binding: সেলাই করা বাইন্ডিং

Quality: Premium Quality Books.

Printing: High Quality Printing.

Paper: Eye Friendly paper (Cream White)

Cover: Matt cover (Paperback).