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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 Ragozin, Viacheslav
1-0
URS-ch17 1949 A10
Keres, Paul vs Konstantinopolsky, Alexander
0-1
URS-ch16 1948 B14
Keres, Paul vs Bondarevsky, Igor
1/2-1/2
URS-ch16 1948 C08
Ilivitzki, Georgi A vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch16 1948 E01
Aronin, Lev Solomonovich vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch16 1948 C78
Keres, Paul vs Lisitsin, Georgy
1-0
URS-ch16 1948 A96
Keres, Paul vs Kholmov, Ratmir D
1/2-1/2
URS-ch16 1948 C08
Furman, Semen Abramovich vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch16 1948 E15
Keres, Paul vs Panov, Vasily N
1-0
URS-ch16 1948 A93
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
1/2-1/2
URS-ch16 1948 A34
Keres, Paul vs Averbakh, Yuri L
1/2-1/2
URS-ch16 1948 D30
Keres, Paul vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
0-1
URS-ch16 1948 E07
Keres, Paul vs Levenfish, Grigory
1-0
URS-ch16 1948 C15
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch16 1948 E39
Lilienthal, Andor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch16 1948 E19
Alatortsev, Vladimir vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch16 1948 E04
Tolush, Alexander V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch16 1948 E11
Kotov, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch16 1948 C05
Keres, Paul vs Alexander, Conel Hughes
1/2-1/2
ENG-URS 1947 C81
Bondarevsky, Igor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch15 1947 A47
Simagin, Vladimir vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Parnu 1947 E12
Keres, Paul vs Lilienthal, Andor
1-0
Parnu 1947 C86
Keres, Paul vs Lilienthal, Andor
1/2-1/2
URS-ch15 1947 C49
Tsvetkov, Alexandar K vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Chigorin mem 1947 C91
Kasparian, Genrikh vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch15 1947 B23
Kan, Ilia Abramovich vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch15 1947 E11
Keres, Paul vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1-0
Chigorin mem 1947 A53
Keres, Paul vs Levenfish, Grigory
1-0
URS-ch15 1947 E08
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch15 1947 E33
Pachman, Ludek vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Chigorin mem 1947 D98
Kasparian, Genrikh vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1947 B25
Aronin, Lev Solomonovich vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch15 1947 E17
Keres, Paul vs Kottnauer, Cenek
1-0
Chigorin mem 1947 E50
Goldenov, Boris Petrovich vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch15 1947 E11
Keres, Paul vs Kotov, Alexander
1-0
Chigorin mem 1947 B20
Keres, Paul vs Klaman, Konstantin
0-1
URS-ch15 1947 A24
Renter, Raul vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Parnu 1947 E32
Keres, Paul vs Yudovich, Mikhail Sr
1/2-1/2
URS-ch15 1947 D43
Keres, Paul vs Kotov, Alexander
1-0
Parnu 1947 B20
Alexander, Conel Hughes vs Keres, Paul
0-1
ENG-URS 1947 C92
Keres, Paul vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
1-0
URS-ch15 1947 D36
Randviir, Juri vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Parnu 1947 C45
Keres, Paul vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1947 B62
Keres, Paul vs Plater, Kazimierz
1/2-1/2
Chigorin mem 1947 B81
Ragozin, Viacheslav vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Chigorin mem 1947 E47
Keres, Paul vs Makogonov, Vladimir Andreevich
1-0
Parnu 1947 C75
Novotelnov, Nikolay Alexandrovi vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Chigorin mem 1947 D46
Tolush, Alexander V vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Parnu 1947 C26
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1947 E11
Tolush, Alexander V vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch15 1947 E39
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