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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 →
Foltys, Jan vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Margate 1937 C49
Keres, Paul vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
1-0
Semmering/Baden 1937 E01
Keres, Paul vs Thomas, George Alan
1-0
Hastings3738 1937 C71
Reynolds, Arthur vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Ostende 1937 A29
Keres, Paul vs Mikenas, Vladas
1/2-1/2
Stockholm ol 1937 D75
Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Semmering/Baden 1937 D95
Steiner, Endre vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Kemeri 1937 C87
Thomas, George Alan vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Margate 1937 C77
Keres, Paul vs Dyner, Israel
1-0
Ostende 1937 B50
Petrovs, Vladimirs vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Kemeri 1937 A90
Keres, Paul vs Book, Eero
1-0
Kemeri 1937 E07
Keres, Paul vs Ozols, Karlis
1-0
Kemeri 1937 A34
Keres, Paul vs List, Paul
1-0
Ostende 1937 E21
Keres, Paul vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1937 A09
Keres, Paul vs Dunkelblum, Arthur
1-0
Stockholm ol 1937 E07
Keres, Paul vs Feigin, Movsa
1/2-1/2
Kemeri 1937 E18
Grob, Henry vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Ostende 1937 C55
Opocensky, Karel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Prague 1937 A90
Schmidt, Paul Felix vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Parnu 1937 D06
Rellstab, Ludwig Sr vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Kemeri 1937 D01
Milner Barry, Philip Stuart vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Margate 1937 C31
Keres, Paul vs Gudmundsson, Jon
1-0
Stockholm ol 1937 E06
Keres, Paul vs Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb
1-0
Prague 1937 E67
Keres, Paul vs Tartakower, Saviely
0-1
Ostende 1937 A53
Keres, Paul vs Fine, Reuben
1/2-1/2
Hastings3738 1937 C26
Tylor, Theodore vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Hastings3738 1937 C66
Foltys, Jan vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Prague 1937 C13
Keres, Paul vs Flohr, Salo
1-0
Semmering/Baden 1937 D75
Castaldi, Vincenzo vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Stockholm ol 1937 C58
Ragozin, Viacheslav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Semmering/Baden 1937 A28
Trifunovic, Petar vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Prague 1937 E11
Thomas, Andrew vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Hastings3738 1937 E11
Keres, Paul vs Landau, Salo
1/2-1/2
Ostende 1937 D41
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Hastings3738 1937 C77
Keres, Paul vs Mikenas, Vladas
1-0
Hastings3738 1937 D75
Kostic, Boris vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Stockholm ol 1937 C55
Alexander, Conel Hughes vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Hastings3738 1937 C98
Keres, Paul vs Tylor, Theodore
1-0
Margate 1937 C90
Dobias, Josef vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Prague 1937 A29
Keres, Paul vs Opocensky, Karel
1-0
Parnu 1937 E60
Keres, Paul vs Pelikan, Jorge
1-0
Prague 1937 D37
Fairhurst, William Albert vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Hastings3738 1937 E14
Keres, Paul vs Zinner, Emil
1-0
Prague 1937 C78
Keres, Paul vs Alexander, Conel Hughes
1-0
Margate 1937 E21
Keres, Paul vs Mikenas, Vladas
1-0
Kemeri 1937 C00
Keres, Paul vs Fine, Reuben
1/2-1/2
Semmering/Baden 1937 A09
Keres, Paul vs Prokop, Frantisek
1-0
Prague 1937 B10
Keres, Paul vs Alexander, Conel Hughes
1-0
Stockholm ol 1937 E06
Keres, Paul vs Fine, Reuben
1-0
Ostende 1937 D41
Keres, Paul vs Hromadka, Karel
1-0
Prague 1937 E72
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