childhood
Born on 4 March 1935 in Thisted, a small village in Jutland, Denmark.
Learned to play chess when he was six, but did not begin to play seriously until he was 17, when he moved to Copenhagen.
education
Moved to Copenhagen to study civil engineering, but never got his degree.
There were many more places to play chess in Copenhagen than in his hometown, and he availed himself of the opportunities. He dropped out of college and became a professional chess player.
career
One of the greatest fighters in chess history, defeating all World Champions from Botvinnik to Karpov.
A Candidate for the World Championship four times (1965, 1968, 1971, 1977), reaching the semifinals on three occasions.
Won more than 25 world-class tournaments and was known as "the tournament world champion".
One of only two players (along with Mikhail Tal) to win or share first place in three Interzonal tournaments.
In 1970, he played top board for the Rest of the World team against Boris Spassky, at Fischer's request.
His worst match result was a 6–0 loss to Bobby Fischer in the 1971 semifinals.
Known for his creative, uncompromising style and his refusal to accept quick draws.
stories & anecdotes
Larsen's philosophy was encapsulated in his famous quote: "To win, you have to dare to lose" or "To win, it is necessary to accept lost positions."
He disdained draws and often sought unbalanced positions where both players had good winning chances.
His motto was: "If in hell, then first class."
He was one of the few Western players feared by the Soviet bloc during the 1960s and '70s, second only to Bobby Fischer.
He wrote a chess column for Clarín, a Buenos Aires newspaper, for many years.
quotes
"To win, it is necessary to accept lost positions."
"If in hell, then first class."
"Chess is a beautiful mistress."
"Lack of patience is probably the most common reason for losing a game, or drawing games that should have been won."
publications
Bent Larsen's Best Games of Chess — his annotated game collection.
Larsen's Selected Games of Chess, 1948–69 — a selection of his best games.
Bent Larsen's Best Games: Fighting Chess with the Great Dane — a modern collection of 120+ games.
Play through Bent Larsen’s games
No published games are linked yet. When automation submits a PGN with this player’s slug, it will appear here automatically.
Editorial note: this profile was adapted from supplied research notes. Historical details and attributed quotations should be fact-checked before formal publication.