Larsen's Opening
b3
Level: INTERMEDIATE
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Play this opening
Larsen's Opening (1.b3) prepares to fianchetto the queen's bishop and exert long-term pressure on the central light squares.
← All patternsKey ideas
Fianchetto queenside bishop; Control light squares; Build flexible structure; Avoid main-line theory
Strengths
Flexible development; solid structure; strong diagonal control; avoids theory
Watch out for
Slow central influence; can become passive if Black challenges the center actively
Typical pawn structure
Fianchettoed queenside bishop; flexible center
Common mistakes
Too passive; Weak central control; Allowing Black easy equality; Misplacing pieces
History
Popularized by Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen in the 1960s and 1970s.
Famous games
Larsen games introducing the opening
Practice it
Teaching this to a group? Free chess lesson plans for teachers and coaches.