Bent Larsen Quotes

Among top grandmasters the Dutch is a rare defense, which is good reason to play it! It has not been studied very deeply by many opponents, and theory, based on a small number of ‘reliable’ games, must be rather unreliable.
BENT LARSEN

Games Numbers Play Small
Had I not played the Sicilian with Black I could have saved myself the trouble of studying for more than 20 years all the more popular lines of this opening, which comprise probably more than 25 percent of all published opening theory!
BENT LARSEN

Black Lines Studying Trouble Years
A chess player never has a heart attack in a good position.
BENT LARSEN

Chess Heart Player
Most of all I like “bad” lines, that is those considered bad, in my opinion unjustly, by theory. The reason for the last quotation marks is that most so-called theory is only a collection of examples from master practice.
BENT LARSEN

Example Marks Practice Quotation
The books say that it is not so serious to lose time in a closed position; I am lucky, since these comments have not harmed me too much.
BENT LARSEN

Book Comment Lucky Serious Time
Chess is a beautiful mistress.
BENT LARSEN

Beautiful Chess Mistress
All chess masters have on occasion played a magnificent game and then lost it by a stupid mistake, perhaps in time pressure and it may perhaps seem unjust that all their beautiful ideas get no other recognition than a zero on the tournament table.
BENT LARSEN

Beautiful Mistake Zero
In my opinion the Open variation is absolutely correct – and more interesting than the Closed.
BENT LARSEN

Chess Closed Interesting More Variation
The stomach is an essential part of the Chess master
BENT LARSEN

Chess Essential Success
A gambit never becomes sheer routine as long as you fear you may lose the king and pawn ending!
BENT LARSEN

Ending Kings Long Routine
One charming characteristic of many flank attacks I could mention is that they do not very often lead to simplification: if the attack is parried, there usually are still opportunities left for initiating action in another sector.
BENT LARSEN

Action Attack Chess Opportunity
I often play a move I know how to refute.
BENT LARSEN

Chess Moving Play
For me, chess is at the same time a game, a sport, a science and an art. And perhaps even more than that,. There is someting hard to explain to those who do not know the game well. One must first learn to play it correctly in order to savor its richness.
BENT LARSEN

Art Order Sports
Lack of patience is probably the most common reason for losing a game, or drawing games that should have been won.
BENT LARSEN

Drawing Games Losing Reason
A draw may be the beautiful and logical result of fine attacks and parries; and the public ought to appreciate such games, in contrast, of course, to the fear-and-laziness draws.
BENT LARSEN

Appreciate Beautiful Games

Other Famous Personalities