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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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Mohrlok, Dieter vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-BRD 1960 A36
Filip, Miroslav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 E53
Keres, Paul vs Shishov, Mikhail Vasilievich
1-0
Baltic tourn 1960 C86
Keres, Paul vs Troeger, Paul
1-0
URS-BRD 1960 C11
Peterson, Andrey vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Baltic tourn 1960 A29
Keres, Paul vs Sapre, R.
1-0
Leipzig olm prel 1960 C10
Keres, Paul vs Ostrauskas, M.
1/2-1/2
Baltic tourn 1960 A85
Keres, Paul vs Ribeiro, Joao Mario
1-0
Leipzig olm prel 1960 C42
Bertok, Mario vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 D27
Keres, Paul vs Radovici, Corvin
1-0
Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 D26
Keres, Paul vs Nei, Iivo
1/2-1/2
Baltic tourn 1960 D30
Lehmann, Heinz Dr vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-BRD 1960 C46
Teschner, Rudolf vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-BRD 1960 E94
Keres, Paul vs Maslov, Leonid P
1-0
Baltic tourn 1960 E11
Keres, Paul vs Ojanen, Kaarle Sakari
1-0
Helsinki m 1960 B43
Ojanen, Kaarle Sakari vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Helsinki m 1960 A65
Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 D41
Cesnauskas, Algimantas vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Baltic tourn 1960 C46
Keres, Paul vs Sorokin, Nikolay
1-0
Baltic tourn 1960 D42
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1960 E50
Gamrekeil, G. vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Baltic tourn 1960 D27
Bouwmeester, Hans vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Leipzig olm prel 1960 D04
Keres, Paul vs Clarke, Peter H
1-0
Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 B81
Darga, Klaus vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-BRD 1960 C92
Kikiani, Tamaz vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Baltic tourn 1960 E87
Fauconnier vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Leipzig olm prel 1960 D04
Keres, Paul vs Beni, Alfred
1-0
Leipzig olm prel 1960 E14
Keres, Paul vs Bilek, Istvan
1-0
Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 B82
Uusi, Gunnar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Baltic tourn 1960 C85
Keres, Paul vs Rosenfeld, Isai K
1-0
Baltic tourn 1960 E10
Keres, Paul vs Klovans, Janis
1-0
Baltic tourn 1960 E04
Keres, Paul vs Pfeiffer, Gerhard
1-0
URS-BRD 1960 D26
Wexler, Bernardo vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Leipzig olm prel 1960 E40
Kliavinsh, Janis vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Baltic tourn 1960 C71
Keres, Paul vs Mikenas, Vladas
1-0
Baltic tourn 1960 C42
Keres, Paul vs Ufimtsev, Anatoly
1-0
URS-chT 1959 B06
Furman, Semen Abramovich vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch26 1959 D32
Keres, Paul vs Olafsson, Fridrik
1/2-1/2
Zuerich 1959 B96
Barenboim vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-chT 1959 A63
Donner, Jan Hein vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Zuerich 1959 B43
Olafsson, Fridrik vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1959 D29
Keres, Paul vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1-0
Zuerich 1959 C92
Vasiukov, Evgeni vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch26 1959 C99
Bhend, Edwin vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Zuerich 1959 B38
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
1/2-1/2
URS-ch26 1959 B43
Nezhmetdinov, Rashid vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch26 1959 C96
Keres, Paul vs Benko, Pal C
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1959 B98
Benko, Pal C vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1959 A25
Keres, Paul vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1-0
URS-ch26 1959 B92
Kholmov, Ratmir D vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch26 1959 B30
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