Keres, Paul
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
Featured Games
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Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
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Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 18th
1948
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Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 18th
1948
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Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
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Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
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Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel
Gothenburg Interzonal
1955
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Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
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Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 18th
1948
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Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul
Petropolis Interzonal
1973
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Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
World Championship 18th
1948
View PrintGames (1570)
Search & Filter All Games →Keres, Paul vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1-0Hamburg m 1956 C97
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
1/2-1/2Alekhine mem 1956 B66
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
1-0URS-ch22 1955 E13
Lisitsin, Georgy vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-ch22 1955 A06
Kotov, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 D71
Keres, Paul vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 D40
Keres, Paul vs Byrne, Robert E
1-0URS-USA telex 1955 B20
Byrne, Robert E vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-USA telex 1955 E24
Randviir, Juri vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Parnu 1955 C86
Keres, Paul vs Benko, Pal C
1/2-1/2HUN-URS 1955 B20
Simagin, Vladimir vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-ch22 1955 C46
Byrne, Robert E vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-USA telex 1955 C39
Keres, Paul vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
1-0Parnu 1955 C90
Keres, Paul vs Sherbakov, Vitaly S
1-0URS-ch22 1955 D03
Bilek, Istvan vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2HUN-URS 1955 A09
Keres, Paul vs Byrne, Robert E
1-0URS-USA telex 1955 B63
Keres, Paul vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 B70
Keres, Paul vs Lilienthal, Andor
1-0Parnu 1955 C82
Furman, Semen Abramovich vs Keres, Paul
1-0URS-ch22 1955 D27
Keres, Paul vs Arulaid, Alexander
1-0Parnu 1955 C75
Borisenko, Georgy K vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-ch22 1955 D50
Keres, Paul vs Mikenas, Vladas
0-1URS-ch22 1955 B88
Benko, Pal C vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2HUN-URS 1955 D02
Keres, Paul vs Barcza, Gedeon
1-0HUN-URS 1955 B95
Ilivitzki, Georgi A vs Keres, Paul
1-0URS-ch22 1955 E45
Keres, Paul vs Averbakh, Yuri L
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 A04
Keres, Paul vs Mikenas, Vladas
1-0Parnu 1955 D33
Tolush, Alexander V vs Keres, Paul
0-1Parnu 1955 E05
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Parnu 1955 A30
Keres, Paul vs Nei, Iivo
1-0Parnu 1955 D48
Antoshin, Vladimir S vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 C92
Mikkov, U. vs Keres, Paul
0-1Parnu 1955 E87
Ilivitzki, Georgi A vs Keres, Paul
0-1Parnu 1955 B38
Keres, Paul vs Szabo, Laszlo
1-0HUN-URS 1955 B64
Keres, Paul vs Kluger, Gyula
1-0HUN-URS 1955 C86
Barcza, Gedeon vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2HUN-URS 1955 D02
Kan, Ilia Abramovich vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-ch22 1955 A57
Keres, Paul vs Alexander, Conel Hughes
1-0Hastings5455 1954 C42
Keres, Paul vs Agustsson, Gudmundur
1-0Amsterdam olm 1954 B11
Keres, Paul vs Donner, Jan Hein
1-0Amsterdam olm 1954 C86
Pilnik, Herman vs Keres, Paul
0-1Amsterdam olm 1954 C90
Keres, Paul vs Bolbochan, Julio
1-0ARG-URS 1954 B77
Pachman, Ludek vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Hastings5455 1954 E14
Bobekov, R. vs Keres, Paul
0-1Amsterdam olm 1954 D32
Keres, Paul vs Palmason, Gundmundur
1-0Amsterdam olm 1954 B88
Pavey, Max vs Keres, Paul
1-0USA-URS 1954 E68
Donner, Jan Hein vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hastings5455 1954 A63
Keres, Paul vs Stoltz, Goesta
1-0SWE-URS 1954 C80
Unzicker, Wolfgang vs Keres, Paul
0-1Hastings5455 1954 C71
Keres, Paul vs Pavey, Max
1-0USA-URS 1954 C10