Bent Larsen was a celebrated Danish chess grandmaster and author, widely regarded as the strongest player born and raised in Denmark. He was considered the strongest non-Soviet player from the mid to late 1960s. His greatest accomplishments included winning the interzonal three times and becoming a six-time Danish Champion.
Larsen, born in 1935, learned to play chess at 6 and quickly rose as a formidable player, securing his first Danish Championship in 1954. He participated in the Candidates tournament four times, reaching the semi-finals in 1965 where he was defeated by Tigran Petrosian, the eventual tournament winner.
Larsen won three Interzonals (1964, 1967, 1976), a record he shares with Bobby Fischer and Lev Polugayevsky. He won numerous international tournaments, including Mar del Plata and Havana in 1967, winning the latter by defeating World Champion Tigran Petrosian.
While he played aggressively and was unafraid of taking risks, his style often left him vulnerable against highly prepared opponents. This weakness was evident in his 6–0 loss to Bobby Fischer in the 1971 Candidates matches.
Despite the defeat, he maintained a high level of play until the mid-70s. In the 80s and 90s, while his results were less spectacular, he still scored victories against younger players.
As an author, Larsen produced several books on chess that were met with high regard in the chess community. He was also active as a chess journalist, writing columns for major chess magazines.
Larsen moved to Argentina in 1976 following his marriage to an Argentine woman. He died in Buenos Aires in 2010, aged 75. Despite his move, Larsen has remained an iconic figure in Danish chess history.