MARK RUBERY CHESS

The following is a list of frank quotes from the Danish GM who once rivalled Fischer as the best western player- GM Bent Larsen.

‘Botvinnik has never had very high respect for my play. One of the reasons is that he thinks I play too many different openings, and that I don’t concentrate enough on one or two openings like he did himself when he was younger.’

‘The main thing is not to be afraid of losing.

Why should I be afraid? Although chess is my profession and a very important part of my life, if I lose I know two things: first, it is only a game, and second, by taking the risks I do I will win more than I lose. For some masters losing at chess is almost like dying; for me this is absolutely not so.’

‘Most of all I like “Bad” lines, which are those considered bad, unjustly in my opinion, by theory.

‘Lack of patience is probably the most common reason for losing a game, or drawing games that should have been won.’

‘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!’

‘I often play a move I know how to refute.’

‘A chess player never has a heart attack in a good position.’

‘I don’t care very much for miniatures. I don’t try to beat my opponents quickly because if they are strong I think I should respect them. It’s too risky to play very sharply to beat them in 20 moves.’

The following game is an exception…

Robatsch,Karl - Larsen,Bent [A04]

Moscow ol (Men) prel (4), 1956

1.Nf3 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Ng5 e5 4.d3 e3 (4…exd3? 5 Bxd3 is a From’s Gambit reversed where Black is already in dire straits) 5.Bxe3 Nc6 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qf3 Qf6 8.Qg3?! Nge7 9.Nc3 h6 10.Nge4 Qf7 11.Nb5? Nf5! 12.Qf3 d5 13.Nf6+ Qxf6 14.Nxc7+ Kd8 15.Nxa8 e4 16.dxe4

Qxb2 17.Qd1 Nxe3 18.fxe3 Qc3+ 19.Kf2 Bc5 20.Qxd5+ Ke7 21.Re1 Rf8+ 22.Qf5 0–1