Fischer, Robert James vs Larsen, Bent, Candidates sf1

The Fischer–Larsen 1971 Candidates semifinal in Denver was one of the most extraordinary single-match results in chess history. Fischer won 6-0: six wins, no draws, no losses, against the player generally considered the strongest non-Soviet grandmaster of the period.

Bent Larsen had won the Interzonal of 1967, co-led the 1968 Candidates Tournament, and was widely tipped to be the next major challenger from the West. His match against Fischer was scheduled as ten games; the format meant either player needed 5.5 points to advance. Fischer reached 5.5 in six games and the match ended.

This game — round-specific identification needed from PGN — was one of those six. Like the entire match, it featured Fischer playing at near-engine-level accuracy while Larsen struggled with move orders and concrete continuations. Larsen’s openings — usually his strength as a creative theorist — were neutralised by Fischer’s preparation. His defensive technique, normally rock-solid, was overwhelmed by Fischer’s positional pressure.

The 6-0 result has been discussed by chess writers for fifty years. Some analysts attribute it to Fischer’s extraordinary form that summer (his previous Candidates match against Taimanov had also ended 6-0). Others see Larsen’s psychological collapse as the primary factor; Larsen himself acknowledged that the match broke him at one stage. The truth is probably both: Fischer was at the very peak of his powers, and the cumulative effect of losing five straight games against an opponent of Fischer’s calibre would have broken almost anyone.

The Denver match qualified Fischer for the candidates final against Petrosian in Buenos Aires. From there he qualified for the 1972 World Championship match against Spassky. The Larsen match was the first step in the run that ended with the title in Reykjavik.