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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

View Print
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 →
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 E03
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1967 A14
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 D41
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 C49
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 E18
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 E19
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 D41
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Candidats qf3 1965 E31
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1-0
Candidats qf3 1965 E43
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf3 1965 E12
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf3 1965 A21
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
0-1
Candidats qf3 1965 A68
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf3 1965 C80
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Candidats qf3 1965 C99
Keres, Paul vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 E14
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf3 1965 C93
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
0-1
Candidats qf3 1965 C93
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats qf3 1965 E12
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 C92
Keres, Paul vs Larsen, Bent
1/2-1/2
Hoogovens 1964 B35
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Buenos Aires 1964 A09
Portisch, Lajos vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Hoogovens 1964 E18
Najdorf, Miguel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Buenos Aires 1964 D25
Najdorf, Miguel vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Piatigorsky Cup 1963 A85
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
0-1
Piatigorsky Cup 1963 C87
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1963 E39
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Piatigorsky Cup 1963 A28
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
Piatigorsky Cup 1963 B18
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-chT 1963 A09
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1963 C96
Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel
1/2-1/2
Piatigorsky Cup 1963 B43
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1963 E18
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Piatigorsky Cup 1963 A23
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
0-1
Candidats playoff 2pl 1962 A56
Keres, Paul vs Fischer, Robert James
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1962 B20
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats playoff 2pl 1962 E54
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1962 D59
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1962 B65
Keres, Paul vs Fischer, Robert James
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1962 D35
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1962 C87
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1962 A34
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
Candidats playoff 2pl 1962 A46
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1962 C96
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1962 C87
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1962 C96
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
1-0
Candidats playoff 2pl 1962 D41
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1962 D19
Fischer, Robert James vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1962 C96
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
Candidats playoff 2pl 1962 B36
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1962 E41
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