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 Petrovs, Vladimirs
1-0URS-ch12 1940 C32
Bondarevsky, Igor vs Keres, Paul
1-0URS-ch12 1940 E33
Keres, Paul vs Levenfish, Grigory
1-0URS-ch12 1940 D53
Keres, Paul vs Rudakovsky, Iosif
0-1URS-ch12 1940 D53
Keres, Paul vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1/2-1/2URS-ch12 1940 C15
Konstantinopolsky, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-ch12 1940 C29
Panov, Vasily N vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch12 1940 C76
Sergeant, Edward G vs Keres, Paul
0-1Margate 1939 C87
Palau, Luis Argentino vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 D04
Keres, Paul vs Guimard, Carlos E
1-0Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 D56
Keres, Paul vs Romanovsky, Peter Arsenievich
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1939 E33
Keres, Paul vs Piazzini, Luis Roberto
1-0Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 D49
Cortlever, Nicolaas vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 C49
Milner Barry, Philip Stuart vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Margate 1939 C27
Opocensky, Karel vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 E17
Keres, Paul vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2Margate 1939 D13
Keres, Paul vs Czerniak, Moshe
1-0Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 B13
Luckis, Marcos vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 C58
Tartakower, Saviely vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 D95
Vassaux, G. vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires ol prel-D 1939 C90
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1/2-1/2Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 C07
Keres, Paul vs Flores Alvarez, Rodrigo
1-0Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 C06
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1/2-1/2Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 C07
Makogonov, Vladimir Andreevich vs Keres, Paul
1-0Leningrad/Moscow 1939 A84
Keres, Paul vs Mikenas, Vladas
1-0Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 B15
Tolush, Alexander V vs Keres, Paul
0-1Leningrad/Moscow 1939 E22
Golombek, Harry vs Keres, Paul
0-1Margate 1939 D74
Goglidze, Victor Arsentievich vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1939 A47
Keres, Paul vs Alatortsev, Vladimir
0-1Leningrad/Moscow 1939 D30
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1939 D19
Ragozin, Viacheslav vs Keres, Paul
1-0Leningrad/Moscow 1939 C90
Keres, Paul vs Frydman, Paulino
1/2-1/2Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 D96
Wheatcroft, George vs Keres, Paul
0-1Margate 1939 C32
Keres, Paul vs Lopez Arce, Alberto
1-0Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 E35
Thomas, George Alan vs Keres, Paul
0-1Margate 1939 C91
Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb vs Keres, Paul
1-0Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 A05
Bondarevsky, Igor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1939 D95
Konstantinopolsky, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1-0Leningrad/Moscow 1939 A12
Trompowsky, Octavio vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 E01
Kan, Ilia Abramovich vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1939 D94
Levenfish, Grigory vs Keres, Paul
0-1Leningrad/Moscow 1939 C90
Keres, Paul vs Rojahn, Ernst
1-0Buenos Aires ol prel-D 1939 B61
Czerniak, Moshe vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires ol prel-D 1939 C49
Keres, Paul vs Menchik, Vera
1-0Margate 1939 C06
Keres, Paul vs Rabinovich, Ilya Leontievich
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1939 B72
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1-0Buenos Aires ol prel-D 1939 C09
Enevoldsen, Jens vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 E39
Keres, Paul vs Belavenets, Sergey Vesevolodovi
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1939 E43
Graf, Sonja vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 D90
Benko, Francisco vs Keres, Paul
0-1Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 C91