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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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Keres, Paul vs Oren, Menachem
1-0
Amsterdam olm 1954 B75
Keres, Paul vs Bolbochan, Julio
1/2-1/2
ARG-URS 1954 B70
Keres, Paul vs Wade, Robert Graham
1-0
ENG-URS 1954 C13
Phillips, Alan vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Hastings5455 1954 D40
Keres, Paul vs Clarke, Peter H
1-0
Amsterdam olm 1954 C06
Panagopoulos, Takis vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Amsterdam olm 1954 A60
Wade, Robert Graham vs Keres, Paul
0-1
ENG-URS 1954 E39
Nilsson, Zandor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam olm 1954 C99
Keres, Paul vs Kevitz, Alexander
1-0
USA-URS 1954 B00
Keres, Paul vs Fuderer, Andrija
0-1
Hastings5455 1954 E76
Bolbochan, Julio vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
ARG-URS 1954 E43
Fairhurst, William Albert vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Hastings5455 1954 E45
Keres, Paul vs Katajisto, Olavi
1-0
Amsterdam olm 1954 B96
Keres, Paul vs Prameshuber, Aleksander
1-0
Amsterdam olm 1954 C84
Bolbochan, Julio vs Keres, Paul
1-0
ARG-URS 1954 E43
Keres, Paul vs Gereben, Erno
1-0
Amsterdam olm 1954 E76
Stoltz, Goesta vs Keres, Paul
0-1
SWE-URS 1954 C91
Tartakower, Saviely vs Keres, Paul
0-1
FRA-URS 1954 A02
Pavey, Max vs Keres, Paul
0-1
USA-URS 1954 E38
Keres, Paul vs Szabo, Laszlo
1-0
Hastings5455 1954 E60
Keres, Paul vs Darga, Klaus
1-0
Amsterdam olm 1954 B26
Keres, Paul vs Sajtar, Jaroslav
1-0
Amsterdam olm 1954 B94
Keres, Paul vs Tartakower, Saviely
1-0
FRA-URS 1954 B10
Stahlberg, Gideon vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1953 D41
Averbakh, Yuri L vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 C98
Szabo, Laszlo vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1953 D24
Taimanov, Mark E vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-training 1953 D22
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1953 D61
Keres, Paul vs Szabo, Laszlo
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 B92
Keres, Paul vs Averbakh, Yuri L
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1953 E58
Keres, Paul vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1/2-1/2
URS-training 1953 E61
Taimanov, Mark E vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 B14
Averbakh, Yuri L vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-training 1953 C87
Keres, Paul vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
1-0
URS-training 1953 E26
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1953 E43
Keres, Paul vs Tolush, Alexander V
0-1
URS-training 1953 E21
Kotov, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 D71
Keres, Paul vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1953 A54
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 B88
Boleslavsky, Isaak vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1953 C97
Keres, Paul vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 B70
Keres, Paul vs Kotov, Alexander
1-0
URS-training 1953 A20
Keres, Paul vs Kotov, Alexander
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 E07
Keres, Paul vs Goldenov, Boris Petrovich
1-0
URS-ch20 1952 C76
Kottnauer, Cenek vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Budapest 1952 E39
Golombek, Harry vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Budapest 1952 E53
Kan, Ilia Abramovich vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch20 1952 A47
Keres, Paul vs Ilivitzki, Georgi A
1/2-1/2
URS-ch20 1952 A11
Keres, Paul vs Gereben, Erno
1-0
Budapest 1952 D61
Keres, Paul vs Lipnitsky, Isaak
0-1
URS-ch20 1952 B10
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