Keres, Paul
Paul Keres (1916-1975) was an Estonian grandmaster known as the "Crown Prince of Chess" for being arguably the strongest player never to become World Champion, finishing runner-up in the Candidates Tournament four consecutive times from 1953-1962. After winning the prestigious AVRO 1938 tournament ahead of future world champions, his title chances were derailed by World War II, beginning a career-long pattern of near-misses at the ultimate prize.
Total Games
1570
Wins
696
Draws
708
Losses
166
44.3% wins45.1% draws10.6% losses
Most Played Openings
C86 - Ruy Lopez: Closed, Worrall Attack26E14 - Queen's Indian Defense: Spassky System25C84 - Ruy Lopez: Closed23C99 - Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense, Panov System22C87 - Ruy Lopez: Closed, Averbakh Variation22D41 - Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense21C71 - Ruy Lopez: Noah's Ark Trap21C73 - Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense19C92 - Ruy Lopez: Closed18E19 - Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Main Line17
Featured Games
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Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
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Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 18th
1948
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Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 18th
1948
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Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
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Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
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Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel
Gothenburg Interzonal
1955
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Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
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Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 18th
1948
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Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul
Petropolis Interzonal
1973
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Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
View PrintGames (1570)
Search & Filter All Games →Keres, Paul vs Kurajica, Bojan
1-0EU-chT Kapfenberg 1970 D35
Adorjan, Andras vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Budapest 1970 C68
Szabo, Laszlo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Tallinn 1969 B02
Plachetka, Jan vs Keres, Paul
0-1Luhacovice 1969 A23
Stein, Leonid vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Tallinn 1969 A13
Kupka, Slavoj vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Luhacovice 1969 A09
Keres, Paul vs Kavalek, Lubomir
1-0Hoogovens 1969 B91
Doda, Zbigniew vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hoogovens 1969 A46
Keres, Paul vs Van Scheltinga, Theo D
1-0Hoogovens 1969 C98
Tarve, Udo vs Keres, Paul
0-1Tallinn 1969 B00
Keres, Paul vs Smejkal, Jan
1/2-1/2Luhacovice 1969 B31
Keres, Paul vs Book, Eero
1-0Tallinn 1969 A14
Haag, Ervin vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Tallinn 1969 C75
Medina Garcia, Antonio Angel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1969 C71
Keres, Paul vs Drimer, Dolfi
1/2-1/2Luhacovice 1969 B33
Etruk, Rein T vs Keres, Paul
0-1Tallinn 1969 A19
Keres, Paul vs Navarovszky, Laszlo
1/2-1/2Luhacovice 1969 B06
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Luhacovice 1969 E15
Blatny, Frantisek vs Keres, Paul
0-1Luhacovice 1969 C71
Ostojic, Predrag vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1969 C75
Keres, Paul vs Arulaid, Alexander
1-0Tallinn 1969 E02
Mista, Ladislav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Luhacovice 1969 D06
Nei, Iivo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Tallinn 1969 C96
Keres, Paul vs Olafsson, Fridrik
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1969 B07
Barcza, Gedeon vs Keres, Paul
0-1Tallinn 1969 A11
Donner, Jan Hein vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1969 D25
Keres, Paul vs Damjanovic, Mato
1/2-1/2Tallinn 1969 D94
Keres, Paul vs Augustin, Josef
1-0Luhacovice 1969 E14
Kolarov, Atanas S vs Keres, Paul
0-1Luhacovice 1969 A49
Keres, Paul vs Lengyel, Levente
1-0Luhacovice 1969 C84
Keres, Paul vs Langeweg, Kick
1-0Hoogovens 1969 B22
Keres, Paul vs Hort, Vlastimil
1/2-1/2Luhacovice 1969 D13
Keres, Paul vs Ree, Hans
1-0Hoogovens 1969 B50
Kozma, Julius vs Keres, Paul
1-0Luhacovice 1969 E45
Keres, Paul vs Gipslis, Aivars
1/2-1/2Tallinn 1969 E11
Keres, Paul vs Lombardy, William James
1-0Hoogovens 1969 B76
Keres, Paul vs Benko, Pal C
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1969 B18
Keres, Paul vs Beni, Alfred
1-0Luhacovice 1969 B14
Keres, Paul vs Gufeld, Eduard
1/2-1/2Tallinn 1969 A26
Jansa, Vlastimil vs Keres, Paul
0-1Luhacovice 1969 C79
Ciric, Dragoljub M vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1969 C71
Keres, Paul vs Liberzon, Vladimir M
1/2-1/2Tallinn 1969 C50
Keres, Paul vs Mosionzhik, Ilya Samoilovich
1/2-1/2URS-chT 1968 C84
Keres, Paul vs Kupper, Josef
1/2-1/2Zuerich training 1968 B37
Keres, Paul vs Glauser, Hansruedi
1-0Zuerich training 1968 D86
Keres, Paul vs Bhend, Edwin
1-0Zuerich training 1968 B05
Keres, Paul vs Kupper, Josef
1-0Zuerich training 1968 A35
Keres, Paul vs Blau, Max
1-0Zuerich training 1968 C67
Shamkovich, Leonid vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-chT 1968 C79
Keres, Paul vs Glauser, Hansruedi
1-0Zuerich training 1968 C96