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
1-0Semmering/Baden 1937 A47
Flohr, Salo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Stockholm ol 1937 D13
Keres, Paul vs Storm Herseth, L.
1-0Stockholm ol 1937 B50
Graf, Sonja vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Prague 1937 A40
Pirc, Vasja vs Keres, Paul
0-1Stockholm ol 1937 A98
Landau, Salo vs Keres, Paul
0-1Kemeri 1937 E58
Keres, Paul vs Hazenfuss, V R.
1-0Kemeri 1937 C02
Berger, Victor vs Keres, Paul
0-1Margate 1937 A81
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
0-1Dresden 1936 C02
Keres, Paul vs Bogoljubow, Efim
1/2-1/2Dresden 1936 C00
Ahues, Carl Oscar vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Bad Nauheim 1936 A47
Keres, Paul vs Spielmann, Rudolf
1/2-1/2Zandvoort 1936 D13
Keres, Paul vs Engels, Ludwig
0-1Dresden 1936 A29
Stahlberg, Gideon vs Keres, Paul
0-1Bad Nauheim 1936 E49
Schmidt, Paul Felix vs Keres, Paul
0-1EST-ch m 1936 A40
Tartakower, Saviely vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Zandvoort 1936 C55
Stahlberg, Gideon vs Keres, Paul
0-1Muenchen ol 1936 A40
Maroczy, Geza vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Dresden 1936 B05
Keres, Paul vs Fine, Reuben
0-1Zandvoort 1936 A09
Keres, Paul vs Van Doesburgh, G.
1-0Zandvoort 1936 A14
Keres, Paul vs De Souza Mendes, Joao
1-0Muenchen ol 1936 A28
Keres, Paul vs Rellstab, Ludwig Sr
1/2-1/2Bad Nauheim 1936 C73
Schmidt, Paul Felix vs Keres, Paul
0-1EST-ch m 1936 E67
Keres, Paul vs Steiner, Lajos
1-0Muenchen ol 1936 A12
Roedl, Ludwig vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Dresden 1936 C79
Keres, Paul vs Heinicke, Herbert
1/2-1/2Bad Nauheim 1936 B63
Schmidt, Paul Felix vs Keres, Paul
1-0EST-ch m 1936 C01
Gruenfeld, Ernst vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Zandvoort 1936 E15
Keres, Paul vs Becker, Albert
1-0Zandvoort 1936 E67
Foltys, Jan vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Muenchen ol 1936 C50
Mikenas, Vladas vs Keres, Paul
1-0Muenchen ol 1936 C73
Keres, Paul vs Van den Bosch, Johannes
1-0Bad Nauheim 1936 D52
Schmidt, Paul Felix vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2EST-ch m 1936 A14
Keres, Paul vs Schmidt, Paul Felix
0-1EST-ch m 1936 A22
Keres, Paul vs Saemisch, Fritz
1-0Dresden 1936 E38
Keres, Paul vs Vidmar, Milan Sr
1-0Bad Nauheim 1936 C98
Grob, Henry vs Keres, Paul
0-1Dresden 1936 C58
Keres, Paul vs Pirc, Vasja
1-0Muenchen ol 1936 A14
Keres, Paul vs Bogoljubow, Efim
1/2-1/2Bad Nauheim 1936 D35
Maroczy, Geza vs Keres, Paul
1-0Zandvoort 1936 B19
Prins, Lodewijk vs Keres, Paul
0-1Zandvoort 1936 D05
Keres, Paul vs Alexandrescu, G.
1-0Muenchen ol 1936 C02
Keres, Paul vs Schmidt, Paul Felix
0-1EST-ch m 1936 A22
Landau, Salo vs Keres, Paul
0-1Zandvoort 1936 D31
Keres, Paul vs Gilfer, Eggert
1-0Muenchen ol 1936 E32
Weissgerber, Gerhard vs Keres, Paul
0-1Bad Nauheim 1936 C73
Keres, Paul vs Richter, Kurt
1-0Muenchen ol 1936 A84
Keres, Paul vs Bogoljubow, Efim
1-0Zandvoort 1936 D30
Helling, Karl vs Keres, Paul
1-0Dresden 1936 D02
Keres, Paul vs Schmidt, Paul Felix
1-0EST-ch m 1936 C02