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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

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 18th

1948

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul

World Championship 18th

1948

View Print
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

View Print
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

View Print

Games (1570)

Search & Filter All Games →
Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Munich 1942 E17
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Leningrad/Moscow 1941 D96
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
Leningrad/Moscow 1941 E35
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Leningrad/Moscow 1941 D27
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C99
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C87
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Leningrad/Moscow 1941 D36
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Leningrad/Moscow 1941 E32
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C50
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
1-0
NLD m 3940 1940 D13
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
1-0
NLD m 3940 1940 C91
Smyslov, Vassily vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch12 1940 C68
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
0-1
NLD m 3940 1940 D28
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1-0
NLD m 3940 1940 A09
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1-0
NLD m 3940 1940 E33
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1-0
NLD m 3940 1940 E33
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
NLD m 3940 1940 E19
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch12 1940 E13
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
0-1
NLD m 3940 1940 E19
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1-0
NLD m 3940 1940 D10
Keres, Paul vs Capablanca, Jose Raul
1/2-1/2
Margate 1939 C90
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
1-0
NLD m 3940 1939 C87
Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Buenos Aires ol f-A 1939 E19
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1/2-1/2
Leningrad/Moscow 1939 C90
Keres, Paul vs Najdorf, Miguel
1-0
Margate 1939 D36
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
NLD m 3940 1939 C91
Keres, Paul vs Capablanca, Jose Raul
1/2-1/2
Buenos Aires ol prel-D 1939 C71
Keres, Paul vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Leningrad/Moscow 1939 D55
Najdorf, Miguel vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Buenos Aires Circulo 1939 D94
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1/2-1/2
NLD m 3940 1939 C83
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
0-1
NLD m 3940 1939 C84
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
0-1
NLD m 3940 1939 E32
Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 E42
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 E29
Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 E58
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1-0
AVRO 1938 C73
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 E47
Keres, Paul vs Alekhine, Alexander
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 B14
Keres, Paul vs Capablanca, Jose Raul
1-0
AVRO 1938 C09
Euwe, Max vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 A84
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 A12
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 E17
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
1-0
Noordwijk 1938 A09
Keres, Paul vs Capablanca, Jose Raul
1/2-1/2
Semmering/Baden 1937 B38
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
0-1
Kemeri 1937 D02
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1/2-1/2
Hastings3738 1937 B70
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1-0
Stockholm ol 1937 C90
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
0-1
Stockholm ol 1937 C83
Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Kemeri 1937 C84
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Semmering/Baden 1937 E16
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