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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)

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Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Kemeri 1937 C84
Keres, Paul vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1-0
Stockholm ol 1937 C90
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Semmering/Baden 1937 E16
Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Bad Nauheim 1936 A40
Keres, Paul vs Alekhine, Alexander
0-1
Dresden 1936 E33
Keres, Paul vs Euwe, Max
0-1
Zandvoort 1936 C02
Alekhine, Alexander vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Warsaw ol 1935 C79
Keres, Paul vs Hort, Vlastimil
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1975 D42
Keres, Paul vs Marovic, Drazen
1-0
Tallinn 1975 B05
Keres, Paul vs Lengyel, Levente
1-0
Tallinn 1975 B36
Keres, Paul vs Allan, Denis
1-0
Vancouver op 1975 C44
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
1-0
Tallinn 1975 E14
Keres, Paul vs Watson, John L
1-0
Vancouver op 1975 A47
Keres, Paul vs Nei, Iivo
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1975 D69
McCormick, James vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Vancouver op 1975 A15
Harper, Bruce vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Vancouver op 1975 D23
Macskasy, Elod vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Vancouver op 1975 D63
Espig, Lutz vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1975 D27
Keres, Paul vs Gleghorn, P.
1-0
Vancouver op 1975 B08
Rytov, Boris vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Tallinn 1975 D27
Forintos, Gyozo V vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Vancouver op 1975 D56
Keres, Paul vs Karner, Hillar
1-0
Tallinn 1975 B08
Hernandez, Roman vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1975 D35
Keres, Paul vs Barnes, Craig N
1-0
Vancouver op 1975 B30
Gipslis, Aivars vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1975 C09
Olafsson, Fridrik vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1975 E12
Keres, Paul vs Suttles, Duncan
1/2-1/2
Vancouver op 1975 B08
Rantanen, Yrjo A vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Tallinn 1975 C91
Lombardy, William James vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1975 A07
Keres, Paul vs Hecht, Hans Joachim
1/2-1/2
FRG-ch International 1973 C06
Keres, Paul vs Gerusel, Mathias
1/2-1/2
FRG-ch International 1973 B46
Sveshnikov, Evgeny vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 C55
Keres, Paul vs Karner, Hillar
1-0
Tallinn 1973 B15
Keres, Paul vs Grigorian, Karen Ashotovich
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 B52
Keres, Paul vs Westerinen, Heikki MJ
1-0
Tallinn 1973 B06
Ciocaltea, Victor vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
FRG-ch International 1973 C79
Keres, Paul vs Dvorietzky, Mark I
1/2-1/2
Moscow-3teams 1973 C05
Shamkovich, Leonid vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Moscow-3teams 1973 D12
Keres, Paul vs Parma, Bruno
1/2-1/2
FRG-ch International 1973 D40
Keres, Paul vs Westerinen, Heikki MJ
1/2-1/2
FRG-ch International 1973 C87
Popov, Luben vs Keres, Paul
0-1
Tallinn 1973 A30
Balashov, Yuri S vs Keres, Paul
1-0
Tallinn 1973 C92
Marovic, Drazen vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
FRG-ch International 1973 D34
Paoli, Enrico vs Keres, Paul
0-1
FRG-ch International 1973 C45
Rashkovsky, Nukhim N vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 E04
Keres, Paul vs Taimanov, Mark E
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 A48
Keres, Paul vs Averkin, Orest N
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 E07
Keres, Paul vs Nei, Iivo
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1973 D30
Keres, Paul vs Andersson, Ulf
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1973 E14
Keres, Paul vs Tukmakov, Vladimir B
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 B50
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