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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)

Search & Filter All Games →
Savon, Vladimir A vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch29 1961 C49
Udovcic, Mijo vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Bled 1961 A17
Keres, Paul vs Teschner, Rudolf
1-0
EU-chT 1961 C82
Keres, Paul vs Trifunovic, Petar
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1961 D67
Keres, Paul vs Matanovic, Aleksandar
1/2-1/2
Bled 1961 C97
Keres, Paul vs Vladimirov, Boris T
1-0
URS-ch29 1961 B40
Filip, Miroslav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1961 E18
Keres, Paul vs Trifunovic, Petar
1/2-1/2
Bled 1961 C43
Shamkovich, Leonid vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch29 1961 D27
Keres, Paul vs Gipslis, Aivars
1/2-1/2
URS-ch29 1961 A48
Keres, Paul vs Johannessen, Svein
1-0
Stockholm 1961 E14
Keres, Paul vs Matanovic, Aleksandar
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1961 A48
Burehall, Arne vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Stockholm 1961 B72
Parma, Bruno vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Bled 1961 C75
Keres, Paul vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1-0
Zuerich 1961 C97
Lundin, Erik vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Stockholm 1961 A47
Bagirov, Vladimir vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch29 1961 C84
Averbakh, Yuri L vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch29 1961 E14
Bertok, Mario vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Bled 1961 C92
Kots, Yury Isakovich vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch29 1961 C97
Kupper, Josef vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Zuerich 1961 C73
Ciric, Dragoljub M vs Keres, Paul
1-0
JUG-URS 1961 B19
Bhend, Edwin vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Zuerich 1961 C77
Lombardy, William James vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Zuerich 1961 E53
Skold, Kristian vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Stockholm 1961 C74
Saborido, Rafael vs Keres, Paul
0-1
EU-chT 1961 E82
Keres, Paul vs Christoffel, Martin
1-0
Zuerich 1961 C03
Keres, Paul vs Lein, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
URS-ch29 1961 C10
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1/2-1/2
Stockholm 1961 B45
Keres, Paul vs Darga, Klaus
1/2-1/2
Bled 1961 E14
Keres, Paul vs Gurgenidze, Bukhuti
1/2-1/2
URS-ch29 1961 A48
Hort, Vlastimil vs Keres, Paul
0-1
EU-chT 1961 C71
Keres, Paul vs Djurasevic, Bozidar
1-0
JUG-URS 1961 E14
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Bled 1961 D27
Keres, Paul vs Johansson, M.
1/2-1/2
Stockholm 1961 D20
Keres, Paul vs Donner, Jan Hein
1-0
Bled 1961 D42
Bisguier, Arthur Bernard vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Bled 1961 D40
Darga, Klaus vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1961 A09
Keres, Paul vs Ivkov, Borislav
1-0
Bled 1961 C97
Udovcic, Mijo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
JUG-URS 1961 D02
Keres, Paul vs Matulovic, Milan
1-0
Zuerich 1961 C16
Keller, Dieter vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Zuerich 1961 C55
Keres, Paul vs Walther, Edgar
1/2-1/2
Zuerich 1961 B92
Keres, Paul vs Schmid, Lothar
1-0
Zuerich 1961 B02
Taimanov, Mark E vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch29 1961 A13
Horberg, Beng Eric vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Stockholm 1961 C50
Keres, Paul vs Matulovic, Milan
1/2-1/2
JUG-URS 1961 A48
Kholmov, Ratmir D vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch29 1961 C48
Keres, Paul vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2
URS-BRD 1960 C86
Gipslis, Aivars vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Baltic tourn 1960 C71
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