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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 →
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1953 E14
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
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1953 E61
Najdorf, Miguel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 D41
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1953 B25
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 E55
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1953 E28
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-training 1953 A27
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1/2-1/2
Helsinki olm 1952 B26
Najdorf, Miguel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Helsinki olm 1952 E39
Keres, Paul vs Geller, Efim P
1-0
Budapest 1952 C86
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Budapest 1952 D28
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch20 1952 E52
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch20 1952 E40
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Budapest 1952 E53
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Budapest 1952 A48
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch20 1952 D36
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch20 1952 D35
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch19 1951 C99
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch19 1951 E26
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch19 1951 A12
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch19 1951 E14
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch19 1951 C99
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1950 C84
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1950 D29
Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1950 E07
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Szcawno Zdroj 1950 C74
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1950 C91
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch18 1950 C75
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1950 B62
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
0-1
URS-ch18 1950 C03
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch18 1950 E02
Najdorf, Miguel vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1950 E19
Keres, Paul vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1-0
URS-ch17 1949 E61
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch17 1949 E51
Geller, Efim P vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch17 1949 C84
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch17 1949 C97
Bronstein, David I vs Keres, Paul
0-1
URS-ch16 1948 C75
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
Chigorin mem 1947 A95
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Chigorin mem 1947 D13
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
0-1
Parnu 1947 B63
Keres, Paul vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
URS-ch15 1947 C07
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Parnu 1947 E13
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch15 1947 A34
Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Prague 1943 D49
Keres, Paul vs Alekhine, Alexander
1/2-1/2
Salzburg 1943 C92
Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Salzburg 1943 E19
Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Munich 1942 E17
Keres, Paul vs Alekhine, Alexander
0-1
Salzburg 1942 C34
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