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 →Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Candidats Tournament 1962 D19
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2Candidats Tournament 1962 B36
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
0-1Candidats playoff 2pl 1962 A56
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
0-1Candidats Tournament 1962 C96
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Candidats playoff 2pl 1962 E55
Fischer, Robert James vs Keres, Paul
1-0Candidats Tournament 1962 C96
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
0-1Candidats playoff 2pl 1962 E53
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Candidats playoff 2pl 1962 A35
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Bled 1961 C85
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2URS-ch29 1961 D30
Larsen, Bent vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Zuerich 1961 B21
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
0-1Zuerich 1961 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch29 1961 C11
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2URS-ch29 1961 C42
Fischer, Robert James vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Bled 1961 B11
Keres, Paul vs Portisch, Lajos
1-0Bled 1961 C09
Najdorf, Miguel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Bled 1961 E19
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch29 1961 C92
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2Bled 1961 B18
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2URS-ch29 1961 B42
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Bled 1961 D27
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1/2-1/2Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 E57
Fischer, Robert James vs Keres, Paul
1-0Zuerich 1959 C99
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Tallinn m1 1959 C78
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 C99
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
0-1URS-chT 1959 B19
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2Tallinn m1 1959 B40
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2URS-ch26 1959 D37
Larsen, Bent vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Zuerich 1959 C99
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Candidats Tournament 1959 E53
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 B39
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 E20
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Candidats Tournament 1959 A29
Fischer, Robert James vs Keres, Paul
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 B11
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2Candidats Tournament 1959 C92
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2URS-ch26 1959 B50
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 D34
Keres, Paul vs Fischer, Robert James
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 B99
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
1-0Candidats Tournament 1959 A16
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
1-0URS-ch26 1959 D02
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2URS-ch26 1959 D58
Keres, Paul vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0URS-ch26 1959 A48
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2Candidats Tournament 1959 D41
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 B42
Keres, Paul vs Fischer, Robert James
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 A48
Fischer, Robert James vs Keres, Paul
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 B11
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1-0URS-ch26 1959 E45
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2Zuerich 1959 D42
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2Candidats Tournament 1959 D42
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1Candidats Tournament 1959 B33