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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 →
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 A23
Furman, Semen Abramovich vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch24 1957 D28
Salas Romo, Julio vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Santiago 1957 C92
Sanguineti, Raul vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1957 A37
Karaklajic, Nikola vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-JUG 1957 C71
Keres, Paul vs Barcza, Gedeon
0-1
EST-HUN 1957 C84
Keres, Paul vs Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb
1-0
Mar del Plata 1957 C19
Keres, Paul vs Tolush, Alexander V
1-0
URS-ch24 1957 B97
Rubio Aguado, Fernando vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1957 E24
Keres, Paul vs Aronin, Lev Solomonovich
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 B99
Keres, Paul vs Filip, Miroslav
1/2-1/2
Hastings5758 1957 C76
Barcza, Gedeon vs Keres, Paul
1-0
EST-HUN 1957 D77
Nedeljkovic, Strecko vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-JUG 1957 C92
Keres, Paul vs Esposito, Alfredo
1-0
Mar del Plata 1957 C06
Keres, Paul vs Pachman, Ludek
1-0
EU-chT 1957 A12
Gurgenidze, Bukhuti vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch24 1957 E13
Keres, Paul vs Letelier, Rene
1-0
Santiago 1957 B96
Fazekas, Stefan vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Hastings5758 1957 A49
Gutierrez, JA. vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Santiago 1957 B22
Incutto, Carlos vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Mar del Plata 1957 C92
Keres, Paul vs Behrensen, Jorge
1-0
Mar del Plata 1957 B99
Keres, Paul vs Mikenas, Vladas
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 D56
Keres, Paul vs Bannik, Anatoly
1-0
URS-ch24 1957 C06
Pachman, Ludek vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1957 C30
Keres, Paul vs Barden, Leonhard William
1-0
Hastings5758 1957 A15
Matanovic, Aleksandar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1957 C99
Keres, Paul vs Mangini, Jose Thiago
1-0
Mar del Plata 1957 C86
Casas, Fernando vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Mar del Plata 1957 E48
Klaman, Konstantin vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 A57
Keres, Paul vs Sterner, Olof
1-0
Hastings5758 1957 C07
Keres, Paul vs Stoliar, Efim Samoilovich
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 B45
Kluger, Gyula vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Hastings5758 1957 E43
Keres, Paul vs Albert, E.
1-0
Mar del Plata 1957 B88
Keres, Paul vs Clarke, Peter H
1-0
Hastings5758 1957 C76
Aronson, Lev Abramovich vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch24 1957 C77
Ivkov, Borislav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-JUG 1957 A23
Keres, Paul vs Udovcic, Mijo
1-0
URS-JUG 1957 C84
Keres, Paul vs Flores Alvarez, Rodrigo
1-0
Santiago 1957 B05
Keres, Paul vs Kotov, Alexander
1/2-1/2
Santiago 1957 B68
Blau, Max vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Hastings5758 1957 A60
Keres, Paul vs Gordon, Bernardo
1-0
Santiago 1957 C83
Ader Hausman, Walter vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Mar del Plata 1957 E12
Antoshin, Vladimir S vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch24 1957 E43
Jimenez Rojas, Hector vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Santiago 1957 B72
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 B43
Darga, Klaus vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1957 A28
Panno, Oscar vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Mar del Plata 1957 A23
Kholmov, Ratmir D vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 D28
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Hastings5758 1957 D57
Lombardy, William James vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Mar del Plata 1957 E45
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