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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)

Search & Filter All Games →
Porath, Yosef vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 A30
Keres, Paul vs Petrovs, Vladimirs
1/2-1/2
Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 E34
Keres, Paul vs Gershman, J.
1-0
Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 D56
Keres, Paul vs Grau, Roberto
1/2-1/2
Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 D53
Keres, Paul vs Panov, Vasily N
1/2-1/2
Leningrad/Moscow 1939 A56
Keres, Paul vs Lilienthal, Andor
1/2-1/2
Leningrad/Moscow 1939 D84
Fine, Reuben vs Keres, Paul
0-1
AVRO 1938 C86
Thomas, George Alan vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Noordwijk 1938 B13
Keres, Paul vs Fine, Reuben
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 C83
Schmidt, Paul Felix vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Noordwijk 1938 E39
Tartakower, Saviely vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Noordwijk 1938 D04
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg m 1938 E06
Stahlberg, Gideon vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Gothenburg m 1938 E22
Keres, Paul vs Pirc, Vasja
1/2-1/2
Noordwijk 1938 E09
Keres, Paul vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 B15
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 E12
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
0-1
Gothenburg m 1938 A09
Keres, Paul vs Landau, Salo
1-0
Noordwijk 1938 B38
Stahlberg, Gideon vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg m 1938 D13
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
0-1
Gothenburg m 1938 D41
Keres, Paul vs Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb
1/2-1/2
Noordwijk 1938 C07
Stahlberg, Gideon vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg m 1938 E22
Stahlberg, Gideon vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Gothenburg m 1938 E11
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg m 1938 E06
Spielmann, Rudolf vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Noordwijk 1938 C11
Keres, Paul vs Bogoljubow, Efim
1/2-1/2
Noordwijk 1938 E07
Tartakower, Saviely vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1937 C00
Bolbochan, Jacobo vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Stockholm ol 1937 A57
Keres, Paul vs Raud, Ilmar
1-0
Parnu 1937 C87
Petrovs, Vladimirs vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Semmering/Baden 1937 D73
Keres, Paul vs Menchik, Vera
1-0
Margate 1937 D75
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Semmering/Baden 1937 D36
Keres, Paul vs Bergs, Teodors
1-0
Kemeri 1937 C97
Keres, Paul vs Apsenieks, Fricis
1/2-1/2
Kemeri 1937 D24
Keres, Paul vs Gilg, Karl
1-0
Prague 1937 A52
Keres, Paul vs Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb
1-0
Semmering/Baden 1937 B50
Fine, Reuben vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Semmering/Baden 1937 D93
Aitken, James vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Stockholm ol 1937 B05
Keres, Paul vs Lilienthal, Andor
1/2-1/2
Stockholm ol 1937 A30
Koltanowski, George vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Ostende 1937 A81
Villard, Feliks vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Parnu 1937 B72
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Kemeri 1937 A90
Fine, Reuben vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Kemeri 1937 D05
Gauffin, Thorsten vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Stockholm ol 1937 A90
Tartakower, Saviely vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Kemeri 1937 D03
Stahlberg, Gideon vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Kemeri 1937 C14
Dunkelblum, Arthur vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Ostende 1937 E60
Enevoldsen, Jens vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Stockholm ol 1937 C01
Stahlberg, Gideon vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1937 D70
Keres, Paul vs Fine, Reuben
1/2-1/2
Margate 1937 C05
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