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 Fuchs, Reinhart
1-0Marianske Lazne 1965 E11
Keres, Paul vs Kavalek, Lubomir
1-0Marianske Lazne 1965 D82
Keres, Paul vs Pachman, Ludek
1/2-1/2Marianske Lazne 1965 D94
Osnos, Viatcheslav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 D32
Keres, Paul vs Vasiukov, Evgeni
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 B80
Sakharov, Yury N vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 C73
Keres, Paul vs Khasin, Abram
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 D36
Shamkovich, Leonid vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Marianske Lazne 1965 E39
Lepeshkin, Vladimir vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 C96
Keres, Paul vs Bukhman, Eduard
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 B45
Bykhovsky, Anatoly A vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 B00
Jimenez Zerquera, Eleazar vs Keres, Paul
0-1Marianske Lazne 1965 C72
Keres, Paul vs Lehmann, Heinz Dr
1-0Marianske Lazne 1965 C66
Gufeld, Eduard vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 C72
Kuzmin, Gennadi P vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-ch33 1965 E25
Keres, Paul vs Uhlmann, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2Marianske Lazne 1965 D03
Robatsch, Karl vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Marianske Lazne 1965 C73
Pomar Salamanca, Arturo vs Keres, Paul
0-1Marianske Lazne 1965 A40
Pirc, Vasja vs Keres, Paul
0-1Marianske Lazne 1965 A37
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-ch33 1965 A46
Keres, Paul vs Ljavdansky, Vladimir
1-0URS-ch33 1965 D30
Hort, Vlastimil vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Marianske Lazne 1965 A47
Jansa, Vlastimil vs Keres, Paul
0-1Marianske Lazne 1965 C84
Keres, Paul vs Bednarski, Jacek B
1/2-1/2Marianske Lazne 1965 B20
Suetin, Alexey S vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-ch33 1965 C90
Keres, Paul vs Furman, Semen Abramovich
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 E01
Keres, Paul vs Simagin, Vladimir
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 D37
Stein, Leonid vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch33 1965 C92
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
0-1URS-ch33 1965 A48
Keres, Paul vs Walther, Edgar
1-0Tel Aviv olm prel 1964 E93
Keres, Paul vs Guthi, I.
1-0Tel Aviv olm fin-A 1964 B11
Rocha, Antonio vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hastings6465 1964 D87
Keres, Paul vs Rubinetti, Jorge A
1-0Buenos Aires 1964 B48
Lee, Peter N vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hastings6465 1964 C72
Gheorghiu, Florin vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Hastings6465 1964 E20
Keres, Paul vs Filip, Miroslav
1-0Hoogovens 1964 C93
Keres, Paul vs Hort, Vlastimil
1/2-1/2Tel Aviv olm fin-A 1964 C87
Keres, Paul vs Lengyel, Levente
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1964 C67
Donner, Jan Hein vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hoogovens 1964 D71
Keres, Paul vs Letelier, Rene
1-0Buenos Aires 1964 B37
Guimard, Carlos E vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Buenos Aires 1964 A48
Keres, Paul vs Filip, Miroslav
1/2-1/2Buenos Aires 1964 B11
Ivkov, Borislav vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hoogovens 1964 C96
Keres, Paul vs Mardle, Denis Victor
1-0Hastings6465 1964 C88
Keres, Paul vs Nei, Iivo
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1964 D13
Keres, Paul vs Byrne, Robert E
1/2-1/2Buenos Aires 1964 C04
Keres, Paul vs Menvielle Lacourrelle, Augusto
1-0Tel Aviv olm prel 1964 C41
Bobotsov, Milko G vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hoogovens 1964 D94
Bielicki, Carlos vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires 1964 E14
Darga, Klaus vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hoogovens 1964 A09