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
0-1
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
View Print0-1
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 18th
1948
View Print0-1
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 18th
1948
View Print1-0
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
View Print0-1
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
View Print1-0
Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel
Gothenburg Interzonal
1955
View Print1-0
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
View Print1-0
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 18th
1948
View Print1-0
Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul
Petropolis Interzonal
1973
View Print0-1
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
View PrintGames (1570)
Search & Filter All Games →Bielicki, Carlos vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires 1964 E14
Darga, Klaus vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hoogovens 1964 A09
Wexler, Bernardo vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires 1964 D34
Keres, Paul vs Bolbochan, Julio
1-0Buenos Aires 1964 C43
Rocha, Antonio vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hastings6465 1964 D87
Keres, Paul vs Pfleger, Helmut
1-0Hastings6465 1964 B17
Olivera, Alfredo vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires 1964 C77
Van Scheltinga, Theo D vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1964 E15
Keres, Paul vs Saidy, Anthony Fred
1-0Tel Aviv olm fin-A 1964 A48
Mora, Federico vs Keres, Paul
0-1Tel Aviv olm fin-A 1964 E31
Foguelman, Alberto vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Buenos Aires 1964 D73
Garcia, Raimundo vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires 1964 A46
Villarroel, Geber vs Keres, Paul
0-1Tel Aviv olm prel 1964 C90
Littlewood, Norman vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hastings6465 1964 A03
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hastings6465 1964 C99
Keres, Paul vs Parma, Bruno
1/2-1/2Hoogovens 1964 E14
Borja, M. vs Keres, Paul
0-1Tel Aviv olm prel 1964 D40
Keres, Paul vs De Rooi, Paul
1-0Hoogovens 1964 B75
Keres, Paul vs Hindle, Owen M
1-0Hastings6465 1964 B43
Keres, Paul vs Anderson, Frank Ross
1-0Tel Aviv olm fin-A 1964 E11
Van den Berg, Carel Benjamin vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hoogovens 1964 E55
Keres, Paul vs Rossetto, Hector
1/2-1/2Buenos Aires 1964 C42
Keres, Paul vs Mardle, Denis Victor
1-0Hastings6465 1964 C88
Keres, Paul vs Guthi, I.
1-0Tel Aviv olm fin-A 1964 B11
Keres, Paul vs Schweber, Samuel
1-0Buenos Aires 1964 E61
Keres, Paul vs Zuidema, Coenraad
1-0Hoogovens 1964 C97
Keres, Paul vs Pilnik, Herman
1-0Buenos Aires 1964 C83
Schweber, Samuel vs Keres, Paul
0-1Tel Aviv olm fin-A 1964 E13
Keres, Paul vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1/2-1/2Piatigorsky Cup 1963 C71
Simagin, Vladimir vs Keres, Paul
1-0Alekhine mem 1963 C73
Bagirov, Vladimir vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-chT 1963 C46
Keres, Paul vs Olafsson, Fridrik
1-0Piatigorsky Cup 1963 D81
Grushevsky, Alexander V vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-chT 1963 C96
Benko, Pal C vs Keres, Paul
0-1Piatigorsky Cup 1963 E15
Keres, Paul vs Panno, Oscar
1/2-1/2Piatigorsky Cup 1963 E76
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Alekhine mem 1963 E43
Keres, Paul vs Mnatsakanian, Eduard A
1-0URS-chT 1963 D20
Balcerowski, Witold vs Keres, Paul
0-1Alekhine mem 1963 E15
Keres, Paul vs Pietzsch, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2Alekhine mem 1963 D35
Antoshin, Vladimir S vs Keres, Paul
1-0Alekhine mem 1963 E55
Olafsson, Fridrik vs Keres, Paul
0-1Piatigorsky Cup 1963 A11
Keres, Paul vs Kuijpers, Franciscus Antonius
1-0Alekhine mem 1963 C87
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Keres, Paul
0-1Piatigorsky Cup 1963 E55
Keres, Paul vs Liberzon, Vladimir M
0-1Alekhine mem 1963 A48
Keres, Paul vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1/2-1/2URS-chT 1963 A30
Keres, Paul vs Benko, Pal C
1-0Piatigorsky Cup 1963 C07
Panno, Oscar vs Keres, Paul
0-1Piatigorsky Cup 1963 E19
Keres, Paul vs Katalymov, Boris N
1/2-1/2URS-chT 1963 C07
Ojanen, Kaarle Sakari vs Keres, Paul
0-1EST-FIN m 1963 E46
Keres, Paul vs Matanovic, Aleksandar
1-0Alekhine mem 1963 E93