Forever Chess GamesForever Chess Games Logo
CreateGiftsProductsGamesPlayersOpeningsTop 100FAQ

Explore

  • Players
  • Openings
  • Famous Games
  • Top 100 Games
  • World Championships

Create

  • Create Visualisation
  • How It Works
  • Gift Ideas

Eras

  • 1880s – Classical
  • 1960s – Fischer Era
  • 1990s – Kasparov Era
  • 2020s – Modern

Info

  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use

© 2026 Forever Chess Games. All Rights Reserved

  1. Home
  2. /Players
  3. /Keres, Paul

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

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel

Gothenburg Interzonal

1955

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul

Petropolis Interzonal

1973

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

View Print

Games (1570)

Search & Filter All Games →
Keres, Paul vs Khasin, Abram
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 B43
Kotov, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1957 E59
Keres, Paul vs Wexler, Bernardo
1-0
Mar del Plata 1957 B66
Keres, Paul vs Schmid, Lothar
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1957 A43
Keres, Paul vs Penrose, Jonathan
1-0
Hastings5758 1957 C41
Keres, Paul vs Cuellar Gacharna, Miguel
1-0
Mar del Plata 1957 B66
Unzicker, Wolfgang vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Alekhine mem 1956 C99
Szabo, Laszlo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 E53
Karaklajic, Nikola vs Keres, Paul
0-1
JUG-URS 1956 C84
Penrose, Jonathan vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Moscow olm fin-A 1956 C44
Panno, Oscar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Moscow olm fin-A 1956 A13
Keres, Paul vs Walther, Edgar
1/2-1/2
Moscow olm fin-A 1956 B20
Milic, Borislav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
JUG-URS 1956 C73
Szabo, Laszlo vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Alekhine mem 1956 A23
Keres, Paul vs Pilnik, Herman
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1956 B20
Sliwa, Bogdan vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Alekhine mem 1956 A22
Keres, Paul vs Benko, Pal C
1/2-1/2
Moscow olm fin-A 1956 B39
Keres, Paul vs Matanovic, Aleksandar
0-1
JUG-URS 1956 C97
Keres, Paul vs Panno, Oscar
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1956 B96
Colon, Arturo vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Moscow olm prel 1956 C92
Keres, Paul vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2
Hamburg m 1956 C83
Uhlmann, Wolfgang vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 D41
Keres, Paul vs Golombek, Harry
1-0
Alekhine mem 1956 B18
Rejfir, Josef vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Moscow olm fin-A 1956 A23
Pirc, Vasja vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
JUG-URS 1956 A20
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 B98
Filip, Miroslav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 A29
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 E53
Trifunovic, Petar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
JUG-URS 1956 C75
Unzicker, Wolfgang vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Hamburg m 1956 C91
Pachman, Ludek vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Alekhine mem 1956 A28
Keres, Paul vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1-0
Hamburg m 1956 C67
Unzicker, Wolfgang vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Hamburg m 1956 C75
Keres, Paul vs Filip, Miroslav
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1956 C97
Keres, Paul vs Ciocaltea, Victor
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 B68
Keres, Paul vs Ivkov, Borislav
1/2-1/2
JUG-URS 1956 C88
Keres, Paul vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2
Moscow olm fin-A 1956 C86
Keres, Paul vs Troianescu, Octavio
1/2-1/2
Moscow olm fin-A 1956 C03
Panno, Oscar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 A30
Keres, Paul vs Szabo, Laszlo
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 C86
Unzicker, Wolfgang vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Hamburg m 1956 C99
Dworzynski, Roman vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Moscow olm prel 1956 C71
Pilnik, Herman vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 C77
Keres, Paul vs Rabar, Braslav
1-0
JUG-URS 1956 C86
Padevsky, Nikola vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 E47
Keres, Paul vs Skold, Kristian
1-0
Moscow olm prel 1956 C99
Barda, Olaf vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Moscow olm prel 1956 E43
Unzicker, Wolfgang vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Hamburg m 1956 C97
Keres, Paul vs Bhend, Edwin
1-0
Moscow olm prel 1956 B20
Keres, Paul vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2
Hamburg m 1956 C83
PreviousPage 20 of 32Next

Explore More

All PlayersAll OpeningsFamous Games