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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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Savon, Vladimir A vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 C68
Keres, Paul vs Gheorghiu, Florin
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 A48
Keres, Paul vs Hug, Werner
1-0
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 B36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 A13
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Tallinn 1973 C75
Keres, Paul vs Beliavsky, Alexander G
1-0
URS-ch41 1973 E14
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 D59
Keres, Paul vs Panno, Oscar
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 B52
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 C73
Larsen, Bent vs Keres, Paul
0-1
San Antonio 1972 D41
Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul
1-0
San Antonio 1972 D41
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Sarajevo 1972 D56
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
San Antonio 1972 D41
Keres, Paul vs Karpov, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
San Antonio 1972 E54
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1971 B15
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1971 D94
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
IBM 1971 B15
Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
IBM 1971 E15
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1971 D94
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1971 C28
Timman, Jan H vs Keres, Paul
0-1
IBM 1971 E50
Keres, Paul vs Portisch, Lajos
1/2-1/2
Budapest 1970 C84
Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Hoogovens 1969 D06
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Hoogovens 1969 D41
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Hoogovens 1969 A13
Keres, Paul vs Toran Albero, Roman
1-0
Bamberg 1968 D03
Keres, Paul vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 A34
Keres, Paul vs Teufel, Juergen
1-0
Bamberg 1968 A54
Kestler, Hans Guenther vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Bamberg 1968 E15
Pfleger, Helmut vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Bamberg 1968 A23
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 A28
Keres, Paul vs Dueckstein, Andreas
1-0
Bamberg 1968 C08
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 A14
Donner, Jan Hein vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Bamberg 1968 E41
Szabo, Laszlo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Bamberg 1968 E45
Bobotsov, Milko G vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Bamberg 1968 D25
Klundt, Klaus vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Bamberg 1968 C73
Teschner, Rudolf vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Bamberg 1968 C71
Keres, Paul vs Schmid, Lothar
1-0
Bamberg 1968 B21
Keres, Paul vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2
Bamberg 1968 C84
Keres, Paul vs Westerinen, Heikki MJ
1-0
Bamberg 1968 B09
Keres, Paul vs Ivkov, Borislav
1-0
Bamberg 1968 C08
Larsen, Bent vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Winnipeg 1967 A14
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 E03
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 B17
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 A54
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 C17
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Winnipeg 1967 C84
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Moscow 1967 C83
Keres, Paul vs Portisch, Lajos
0-1
Moscow 1967 C93
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