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