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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 →
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 A26
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch24 1957 A07
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
0-1
URS-ch24 1957 B14
Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1957 B66
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch24 1957 E31
Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 B68
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 A14
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 C99
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 D29
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 A07
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 D33
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 C06
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 B63
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 D34
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1956 C99
Keres, Paul vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 C84
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
Alekhine mem 1956 B63
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 C28
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1956 C84
Spassky, Boris V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch22 1955 D43
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
URS-ch22 1955 D59
Keres, Paul vs Fuderer, Andrija
1-0
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 B97
Keres, Paul vs Panno, Oscar
1-0
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 B97
Rabar, Braslav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 E45
Bisguier, Arthur Bernard vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 C46
Filip, Miroslav vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 E19
Keres, Paul vs Medina Garcia, Antonio Angel
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 C76
Keres, Paul vs Donner, Jan Hein
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 B45
Unzicker, Wolfgang vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 C92
Szabo, Laszlo vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 A31
Keres, Paul vs Sliwa, Bogdan
1-0
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 C87
Pilnik, Herman vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 C77
Keres, Paul vs Pachman, Ludek
1-0
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 C86
Keres, Paul vs Ilivitzki, Georgi A
1/2-1/2
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 A16
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
URS-ch22 1955 C90
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch22 1955 E14
Guimard, Carlos E vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 A57
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
URS-ch22 1955 C03
Keres, Paul vs Stahlberg, Gideon
0-1
Gothenburg Interzonal 1955 B96
Tal, Mihail vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Tallinn m 1954 E92
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Hastings5455 1954 D14
Keres, Paul vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
Tallinn m 1954 A61
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 E01
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1953 D29
Najdorf, Miguel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 D41
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 E55
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 D72
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
0-1
URS-training 1953 A48
Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 B26
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-training 1953 A09
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