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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 Alatortsev, Vladimir
1-0
URS-ch15 1947 C81
Kholmov, Ratmir D vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Chigorin mem 1947 A32
Ufimtsev, Anatoly vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch15 1947 E53
Keres, Paul vs Sokolsky, Alexey
1-0
Chigorin mem 1947 C71
Keres, Paul vs Trifunovic, Petar
1/2-1/2
Chigorin mem 1947 B45
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Chigorin mem 1947 C75
Bondarevsky, Igor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Chigorin mem 1947 E04
Boleslavsky, Isaak vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch15 1947 C83
Bondarevsky, Igor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1947 D43
Keres, Paul vs Dubinin, Peter Vasilievich
1-0
URS-ch15 1947 D96
Makogonov, Vladimir Andreevich vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch15 1947 D38
Keres, Paul vs Klein, Ernst Ludwig
1-0
ENG-URS radio 1946 E01
Fine, Reuben vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-USA 1946 E51
Keres, Paul vs Fine, Reuben
1-0
URS-USA 1946 A34
Klein, Ernst Ludwig vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
ENG-URS radio 1946 C85
Keres, Paul vs Ekstrom, Folke
1-0
Stockholm m 1944 E01
Ekstrom, Folke vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Stockholm m 1944 E11
Keres, Paul vs Ekstrom, Folke
1/2-1/2
Stockholm m 1944 B20
Ekstrom, Folke vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Stockholm m 1944 D04
Ekstrom, Folke vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Stockholm m 1944 D04
Keres, Paul vs Opocensky, Karel
1-0
Prague 1943 B20
Keres, Paul vs Perez Perez, Francisco Jose
1-0
Madrid 1943 C78
Gomez, E. vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Madrid 1943 A47
Katetov, Miroslav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Prague 1943 E72
Keres, Paul vs Schmidt, Paul Felix
1-0
Salzburg 1943 B20
Keres, Paul vs Brinckmann, Alfred
1-0
Madrid 1943 C86
Keres, Paul vs De Agustin, Manuel
1-0
Madrid 1943 C40
Urbanec, Karel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Prague 1943 E51
Keres, Paul vs Pachman, Ludek
1-0
Prague 1943 E35
Saemisch, Fritz vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Prague 1943 E19
Rellstab, Ludwig Sr vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Salzburg 1943 C87
Fuentes, Juan Manuel vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Madrid 1943 C88
Keres, Paul vs Sajtar, Jaroslav
1/2-1/2
Prague 1943 B03
Keres, Paul vs Bogoljubow, Efim
1-0
Salzburg 1943 B81
Schmidt, Paul Felix vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Salzburg 1943 C79
Foltys, Jan vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Prague 1943 E39
Keres, Paul vs Saemisch, Fritz
1/2-1/2
Madrid 1943 C86
Keres, Paul vs Podgorny, Jiri
1-0
Prague 1943 B20
Bogoljubow, Efim vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Salzburg 1943 E44
Medina Garcia, Antonio Angel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Madrid 1943 C56
Keres, Paul vs Kocher
1-0
Madrid 1943 C10
Foltys, Jan vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Salzburg 1943 C86
Keres, Paul vs Rellstab, Ludwig Sr
1-0
Salzburg 1943 B03
Lokvenc, Josef vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Prague 1943 E32
Alonso Leira, Jose vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Madrid 1943 D49
Sanz Aguado, Jose vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Madrid 1943 E17
Keres, Paul vs Pomar Salamanca, Arturo
1-0
Madrid 1943 C78
Keres, Paul vs Kubanek, Jindrich
0-1
Prague 1943 C30
Keres, Paul vs Foltys, Jan
1-0
Salzburg 1943 B23
Keres, Paul vs Florian, Jaromir
1-0
Prague 1943 C87
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