Fischer, Robert James vs Larsen, Bent, Candidates sf1

The opening game of the Fischer-Larsen 1971 Candidates Semifinal in Denver was a Bobby Fischer win as White, beginning what would become a 6-0 sweep over the strongest non-Soviet grandmaster of the period. The match was scheduled as ten games; Fischer reached the required 5.5 points in six.

Larsen had qualified for the semifinal by winning his quarterfinal against Wolfgang Uhlmann 5.5-3.5. He had been considered the favourite to face Fischer; oddsmakers and chess journalists had given him roughly even chances. Larsen had previously beaten Fischer in tournament play and was confident in his unconventional openings as Black.

The Game 1 result reset expectations immediately. Fischer played a classical opening with the white pieces, accumulated a small positional advantage through the middlegame, and converted in the endgame. Larsen’s defensive technique — usually rock-solid at the highest level — failed to find the resources needed. By move 50 the position was lost; Larsen resigned in roughly 55 moves.

Five more wins followed in the next five rounds. The 6-0 score remains one of the most discussed match results in chess history. Some analysts attribute it to Fischer’s extraordinary form (his preceding match against Taimanov had also been 6-0); others to Larsen’s psychological collapse after the early defeats; most to a combination. Larsen himself later said the match broke his confidence at the highest level for several years. He recovered to be a top-10 player again by 1974 but never again reached the World Championship cycle’s final stages.