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Keres, Paul

classical era

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

Most Faced Opponents

Smyslov, Vassily40 gamesGeller, Efim P34 gamesPetrosian, Tigran V32 gamesEuwe, Max27 gamesStahlberg, Gideon26 gamesTal, Mihail26 gamesSpassky, Boris V25 gamesGligoric, Svetozar25 gamesBronstein, David I25 gamesFlohr, Salo21 games

Featured Games

FCGFCG
0-1

Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
0-1

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
0-1

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
1-0

Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
0-1

Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
1-0

Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel

Gothenburg Interzonal

1955

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FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
1-0

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

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FCGFCG
1-0

Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul

Petropolis Interzonal

1973

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FCGFCG
0-1

Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

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Games (1570)

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Walther, Edgar vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Zuerich training 1968 E69
Shamkovich, Leonid vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 C79
Keres, Paul vs Glauser, Hansruedi
1-0
Zuerich training 1968 C96
Keres, Paul vs Stein, Leonid
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 A38
Keres, Paul vs Glauser, Hansruedi
1-0
Zuerich training 1968 D86
Hermlin, Aarne vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-chT 1968 C79
Keres, Paul vs Glauser, Hansruedi
1-0
Zuerich training 1968 D86
Keres, Paul vs Kupper, Josef
1-0
Zuerich training 1968 E43
Walther, Edgar vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Zuerich training 1968 E88
Blau, Max vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Zuerich training 1968 C85
Keres, Paul vs Keller, Dieter
1-0
Zuerich training 1968 C03
Keres, Paul vs Keller, Dieter
1-0
Zuerich training 1968 C61
Keres, Paul vs Bhend, Edwin
1-0
Zuerich training 1968 C61
Keres, Paul vs Blau, Max
1-0
Zuerich training 1968 C67
Keres, Paul vs Bhend, Edwin
1-0
Zuerich training 1968 C11
Keres, Paul vs Mikenas, Vladas
1-0
URS-chT 1968 B02
Keres, Paul vs Kholmov, Ratmir D
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 C42
Gipslis, Aivars vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 C81
Gheorghiu, Florin vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 E20
Keres, Paul vs Bilek, Istvan
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 B50
Szabo, Laszlo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Winnipeg 1967 E03
Keres, Paul vs Yanofsky, Daniel Abraham
1-0
Winnipeg 1967 B11
Keres, Paul vs Bobotsov, Milko G
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 B50
Grigorian, Levon Ashotovich vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1967 E15
Keres, Paul vs Benko, Pal C
1/2-1/2
Winnipeg 1967 B09
Gheorghiu, Florin vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Winnipeg 1967 C69
Keres, Paul vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1967 D41
Keres, Paul vs Ufimtsev, Anatoly
1-0
URS-chT 1967 B07
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 D33
Maslov, Leonid P vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-chT 1967 E43
Stein, Leonid vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Moscow 1967 C82
Darga, Klaus vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Winnipeg 1967 D41
Uhlmann, Wolfgang vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 E15
Bagirov, Vladimir vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1967 C69
Keres, Paul vs Matanovic, Aleksandar
1/2-1/2
Winnipeg 1967 C94
Keres, Paul vs Filip, Miroslav
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 B10
Keres, Paul vs Pachman, Ludek
1-0
Moscow 1967 B10
Keres, Paul vs Kagan, Shimon
1-0
Winnipeg 1967 B11
Keres, Paul vs Borisenko, Georgy K
1-0
URS-chT 1967 C99
Keres, Paul vs Birbrager, Isaak
1-0
URS-chT 1966 E01
Velimirovic, Dragoljub vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-JUG 1966 C44
Bertok, Mario vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-JUG 1966 D34
Keres, Paul vs Chernikov, Oleg L
1-0
URS-chT 1966 D30
Keres, Paul vs Matanovic, Aleksandar
1/2-1/2
URS-JUG 1966 A39
Stein, Leonid vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 D34
Keres, Paul vs Matulovic, Milan
1/2-1/2
URS-JUG 1966 B45
Keres, Paul vs Lutikov, Anatoly S
0-1
URS-chT 1966 C86
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
0-1
URS-ch33 1965 A48
Pirc, Vasja vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Marianske Lazne 1965 A37
Keres, Paul vs Filip, Miroslav
1/2-1/2
Marianske Lazne 1965 C98
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