Paul Keres
Soviet era · Estonia · 1916–1975
Runner-up in four consecutive Candidates cycles: the strongest player never to hold the title.
Career In The Collection
Head-to-Head Records
| Opponent | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vasily Smyslov | 40 | 9 | 22 | 9 | view games |
| Efim Geller | 34 | 7 | 20 | 7 | view games |
| Tigran Petrosian | 32 | 3 | 26 | 3 | view games |
| Max Euwe | 27 | 11 | 9 | 7 | view games |
| Mikhail Tal | 26 | 8 | 14 | 4 | view games |
| Boris Spassky | 25 | 3 | 17 | 5 | view games |
| David Bronstein | 25 | 3 | 17 | 5 | view games |
| Svetozar Gligoric | 25 | 8 | 15 | 2 | view games |
| Mikhail Botvinnik | 19 | 3 | 9 | 7 | view games |
| Samuel Reshevsky | 19 | 4 | 9 | 6 | view games |
| Miguel Najdorf | 15 | 2 | 11 | 2 | view games |
| Alexander Alekhine | 14 | 1 | 8 | 5 | view games |
| Viktor Korchnoi | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | view games |
| Reuben Fine | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | view games |
| Bobby Fischer | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | view games |
| Savielly Tartakower | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | view games |
| Lajos Portisch | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | view games |
| Lev Polugaevsky | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | view games |
| Jose Raul Capablanca | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | view games |
| Bent Larsen | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | view games |
| Anatoly Karpov | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | view games |
| Geza Maroczy | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | view games |
| Jan Timman | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | view games |
| Rudolf Spielmann | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | view games |
| Nona Gaprindashvili | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | view games |
1000 Games · Page 5 of 5
- 1956 vs Vasja Pirc Black JUG-URS A20 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Braslav Rabar White JUG-URS C86 1-0
- 1956 vs Vasily Smyslov White Candidats Tournament C84 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Vasily Smyslov Black Candidats Tournament D33 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Vasily Smyslov Black Alekhine mem A07 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Boris Spassky Black Candidats Tournament D29 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Boris Spassky White Candidats Tournament C84 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Laszlo Szabo Black Candidats Tournament E53 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Laszlo Szabo White Candidats Tournament C86 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Laszlo Szabo Black Alekhine mem A23 1-0
- 1956 vs Petar Trifunovic Black JUG-URS C75 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Uhlmann Black Alekhine mem D41 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Unzicker Black Hamburg m C91 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Unzicker White Hamburg m C83 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Unzicker White Hamburg m C83 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Unzicker Black Alekhine mem C99 1-0
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Unzicker Black Hamburg m C99 0-1
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Unzicker White Hamburg m C67 1-0
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Unzicker Black Hamburg m C75 0-1
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Unzicker Black Hamburg m C97 1/2-1/2
- 1956 vs Wolfgang Unzicker White Hamburg m C97 1-0
- 1955 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White URS-ch22 C03 1-0
- 1955 vs David Bronstein Black Gothenburg Interzonal E41 1-0
- 1955 vs Efim Geller White URS-ch22 D59 1/2-1/2
- 1955 vs Efim Geller Black Gothenburg Interzonal A30 1/2-1/2
- 1955 vs Viktor Korchnoi White URS-ch22 B70 1/2-1/2
- 1955 vs Miguel Najdorf White Gothenburg Interzonal B98 1-0
- 1955 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Gothenburg Interzonal E43 1/2-1/2
- 1955 vs Tigran Petrosian Black URS-ch22 E14 1/2-1/2
- 1955 vs Vasily Smyslov White URS-ch22 C90 0-1
- 1955 vs Boris Spassky Black URS-ch22 D43 1/2-1/2
- 1955 vs Boris Spassky White Gothenburg Interzonal E14 1-0
- 1954 vs Vasily Smyslov White Hastings5455 D14 1/2-1/2
- 1954 vs Mikhail Tal Black Tallinn m E92 0-1
- 1954 vs Mikhail Tal White Tallinn m A61 1/2-1/2
- 1954 vs Savielly Tartakower White FRA-URS B10 1-0
- 1954 vs Savielly Tartakower Black FRA-URS A02 0-1
- 1953 vs David Bronstein White Candidats Tournament E76 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs David Bronstein Black Candidats Tournament B25 1-0
- 1953 vs Max Euwe White Candidats Tournament E55 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Max Euwe Black Candidats Tournament D72 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Efim Geller White URS-training A48 0-1
- 1953 vs Efim Geller Black Candidats Tournament D41 0-1
- 1953 vs Efim Geller White Candidats Tournament E61 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Candidats Tournament B70 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Svetozar Gligoric Black Candidats Tournament E43 0-1
- 1953 vs Miguel Najdorf Black Candidats Tournament D41 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Miguel Najdorf White Candidats Tournament B26 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Tigran Petrosian White Candidats Tournament E61 1-0
- 1953 vs Tigran Petrosian Black URS-training A09 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Candidats Tournament E01 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Samuel Reshevsky White Candidats Tournament E28 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Samuel Reshevsky Black Candidats Tournament E45 1/2-1/2
- 1953 vs Vasily Smyslov Black Candidats Tournament D29 1-0
- 1953 vs Vasily Smyslov White Candidats Tournament E14 0-1
- 1953 vs Vasily Smyslov Black URS-training A27 1-0
- 1952 vs Mikhail Botvinnik Black URS-ch20 D36 1-0
- 1952 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White Budapest A48 1/2-1/2
- 1952 vs David Bronstein Black URS-ch20 D35 1/2-1/2
- 1952 vs Efim Geller White Budapest C86 1-0
- 1952 vs Efim Geller Black URS-ch20 E52 1-0
- 1952 vs Svetozar Gligoric Black Helsinki olm C99 1/2-1/2
- 1952 vs Viktor Korchnoi White URS-ch20 A89 1-0
- 1952 vs Miguel Najdorf Black Helsinki olm E39 1/2-1/2
- 1952 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Budapest E53 1-0
- 1952 vs Samuel Reshevsky White Helsinki olm B26 1/2-1/2
- 1952 vs Vasily Smyslov Black URS-ch20 E40 1-0
- 1952 vs Vasily Smyslov White Budapest D28 1-0
- 1951 vs Mikhail Botvinnik Black URS-ch19 E26 1/2-1/2
- 1951 vs David Bronstein Black URS-ch19 C99 1/2-1/2
- 1951 vs Efim Geller Black URS-ch19 C99 0-1
- 1951 vs Tigran Petrosian Black URS-ch19 E14 1/2-1/2
- 1951 vs Vasily Smyslov Black URS-ch19 A12 0-1
- 1950 vs David Bronstein Black Candidats Tournament C91 1-0
- 1950 vs David Bronstein White Candidats Tournament B62 1/2-1/2
- 1950 vs Efim Geller Black Szcawno Zdroj C74 1/2-1/2
- 1950 vs Efim Geller Black URS-ch18 C75 0-1
- 1950 vs Miguel Najdorf White Candidats Tournament E07 1/2-1/2
- 1950 vs Miguel Najdorf Black Candidats Tournament E19 1/2-1/2
- 1950 vs Tigran Petrosian White URS-ch18 C03 0-1
- 1950 vs Vasily Smyslov Black URS-ch18 E02 1/2-1/2
- 1950 vs Vasily Smyslov White Candidats Tournament C84 1/2-1/2
- 1950 vs Vasily Smyslov Black Candidats Tournament D29 1/2-1/2
- 1949 vs David Bronstein Black URS-ch17 C97 1-0
- 1949 vs Efim Geller Black URS-ch17 C84 0-1
- 1949 vs Tigran Petrosian White URS-ch17 E61 1-0
- 1949 vs Vasily Smyslov Black URS-ch17 E51 1/2-1/2
- 1948 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White World Championship 18th C15 1-0
- 1948 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White World Championship 18th C08 0-1
- 1948 vs Mikhail Botvinnik Black World Championship 18th D06 1-0
- 1948 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White World Championship 18th A13 0-1
- 1948 vs Mikhail Botvinnik Black World Championship 18th E28 1-0
- 1948 vs David Bronstein Black URS-ch16 C75 0-1
- 1948 vs Max Euwe White World Championship 18th C81 1-0
- 1948 vs Max Euwe Black World Championship 18th E32 0-1
- 1948 vs Max Euwe White World Championship 18th C86 1/2-1/2
- 1948 vs Max Euwe Black World Championship 18th C75 0-1
- 1948 vs Max Euwe Black World Championship 18th C74 0-1
- 1948 vs Samuel Reshevsky White World Championship 18th C81 0-1
- 1948 vs Samuel Reshevsky White World Championship 18th C71 1/2-1/2
- 1948 vs Samuel Reshevsky Black World Championship 18th E32 1/2-1/2
- 1948 vs Samuel Reshevsky Black World Championship 18th A15 1-0
- 1948 vs Samuel Reshevsky Black World Championship 18th D45 0-1
- 1948 vs Vasily Smyslov Black World Championship 18th D36 1-0
- 1948 vs Vasily Smyslov White World Championship 18th A16 1/2-1/2
- 1948 vs Vasily Smyslov White World Championship 18th D94 1-0
- 1948 vs Vasily Smyslov Black World Championship 18th E02 0-1
- 1948 vs Vasily Smyslov White World Championship 18th D99 1/2-1/2
- 1947 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White Chigorin mem A95 0-1
- 1947 vs David Bronstein White Parnu B63 0-1
- 1947 vs David Bronstein White URS-ch15 C07 1/2-1/2
- 1947 vs Svetozar Gligoric Black Chigorin mem C75 1/2-1/2
- 1947 vs Vasily Smyslov White Chigorin mem D13 1/2-1/2
- 1947 vs Vasily Smyslov White Parnu E13 1/2-1/2
- 1947 vs Vasily Smyslov White URS-ch15 A34 1-0
- 1946 vs Reuben Fine Black URS-USA E51 1/2-1/2
- 1946 vs Reuben Fine White URS-USA A34 1-0
- 1943 vs Alexander Alekhine White Salzburg C92 1/2-1/2
- 1943 vs Alexander Alekhine Black Prague D49 1/2-1/2
- 1943 vs Alexander Alekhine Black Salzburg E19 1/2-1/2
- 1942 vs Alexander Alekhine White Salzburg C34 0-1
- 1942 vs Alexander Alekhine Black Munich E17 1-0
- 1942 vs Alexander Alekhine Black Salzburg C86 1-0
- 1941 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White Leningrad/Moscow C50 1/2-1/2
- 1941 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White Leningrad/Moscow E35 0-1
- 1941 vs Mikhail Botvinnik Black Leningrad/Moscow D36 1/2-1/2
- 1941 vs Mikhail Botvinnik Black Leningrad/Moscow D27 1/2-1/2
- 1941 vs Vasily Smyslov Black Leningrad/Moscow C87 0-1
- 1941 vs Vasily Smyslov Black Leningrad/Moscow C99 1-0
- 1941 vs Vasily Smyslov White Leningrad/Moscow E32 1-0
- 1941 vs Vasily Smyslov White Leningrad/Moscow D96 1/2-1/2
- 1940 vs Mikhail Botvinnik Black URS-ch12 E13 1/2-1/2
- 1940 vs Max Euwe White NLD m 3940 A09 1-0
- 1940 vs Max Euwe White NLD m 3940 D28 0-1
- 1940 vs Max Euwe White NLD m 3940 D10 1-0
- 1940 vs Max Euwe Black NLD m 3940 D13 1-0
- 1940 vs Max Euwe Black NLD m 3940 E19 0-1
- 1940 vs Max Euwe Black NLD m 3940 C91 1-0
- 1940 vs Max Euwe White NLD m 3940 E33 1-0
- 1940 vs Max Euwe Black NLD m 3940 E19 1/2-1/2
- 1940 vs Max Euwe White NLD m 3940 E33 1-0
- 1940 vs Vasily Smyslov Black URS-ch12 C68 1/2-1/2
- 1939 vs Alexander Alekhine Black Buenos Aires ol f-A E19 1/2-1/2
- 1939 vs Jose Raul Capablanca White Margate C90 1/2-1/2
- 1939 vs Jose Raul Capablanca White Buenos Aires ol prel-D C71 1/2-1/2
- 1939 vs Max Euwe Black NLD m 3940 C91 1/2-1/2
- 1939 vs Max Euwe White NLD m 3940 C84 0-1
- 1939 vs Max Euwe Black NLD m 3940 E32 0-1
- 1939 vs Max Euwe White NLD m 3940 C83 1/2-1/2
- 1939 vs Max Euwe Black NLD m 3940 C87 1-0
- 1939 vs Miguel Najdorf White Margate D36 1-0
- 1939 vs Miguel Najdorf Black Buenos Aires Circulo D94 1-0
- 1939 vs Samuel Reshevsky White Leningrad/Moscow C90 1/2-1/2
- 1939 vs Vasily Smyslov White Leningrad/Moscow D55 1-0
- 1939 vs Savielly Tartakower Black Buenos Aires ol f-A D95 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Alexander Alekhine White AVRO B14 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Alexander Alekhine Black AVRO E58 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Mikhail Botvinnik Black AVRO E29 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White AVRO E17 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Jose Raul Capablanca Black AVRO E42 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Jose Raul Capablanca White AVRO C09 1-0
- 1938 vs Max Euwe Black AVRO A84 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Max Euwe White AVRO A12 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Max Euwe White Noordwijk A09 1-0
- 1938 vs Reuben Fine White AVRO C83 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Reuben Fine Black AVRO C86 0-1
- 1938 vs Samuel Reshevsky White AVRO C73 1-0
- 1938 vs Samuel Reshevsky Black AVRO E47 1/2-1/2
- 1938 vs Rudolf Spielmann Black Noordwijk C11 0-1
- 1938 vs Savielly Tartakower Black Noordwijk D04 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Alexander Alekhine Black Kemeri C84 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Alexander Alekhine White Margate C71 1-0
- 1937 vs Jose Raul Capablanca White Semmering/Baden B38 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Jose Raul Capablanca Black Semmering/Baden D18 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Max Euwe White Stockholm ol C83 0-1
- 1937 vs Reuben Fine White Semmering/Baden A09 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Reuben Fine White Ostende D41 1-0
- 1937 vs Reuben Fine Black Kemeri D05 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Reuben Fine White Hastings3738 C26 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Reuben Fine White Margate C05 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Reuben Fine Black Semmering/Baden D93 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Samuel Reshevsky White Hastings3738 B70 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Samuel Reshevsky White Stockholm ol C90 1-0
- 1937 vs Samuel Reshevsky White Kemeri D02 0-1
- 1937 vs Samuel Reshevsky White Semmering/Baden D29 0-1
- 1937 vs Samuel Reshevsky Black Semmering/Baden E16 0-1
- 1937 vs Savielly Tartakower Black Parnu C00 1/2-1/2
- 1937 vs Savielly Tartakower White Ostende A53 0-1
- 1937 vs Savielly Tartakower Black Kemeri D03 1/2-1/2
- 1936 vs Alexander Alekhine White Dresden E33 0-1
- 1936 vs Alexander Alekhine Black Bad Nauheim A40 1/2-1/2
- 1936 vs Max Euwe White Zandvoort C02 0-1
- 1936 vs Reuben Fine White Zandvoort A09 0-1
- 1936 vs Geza Maroczy Black Dresden B05 1/2-1/2
- 1936 vs Geza Maroczy Black Zandvoort B19 1-0
- 1936 vs Rudolf Spielmann White Zandvoort D13 1/2-1/2
- 1936 vs Savielly Tartakower Black Zandvoort C55 1/2-1/2
- 1935 vs Alexander Alekhine Black Warsaw ol C79 1-0
- 1935 vs Reuben Fine White Warsaw ol C02 1/2-1/2
- 1935 vs Savielly Tartakower Black Warsaw ol A28 1-0
Keep Studying
Open any game above to read it move by move, or replay it on the interactive board. When a position grabs you, have Stockfish analyze the whole game, or play the ideas out against Stockfish yourself. All the players are on the Grandmaster Games hub.