Paul Keres
Estonian chess player and sportsperson (1916-1975) · Estonia · On the map · Chess Players · Died at 59
Paul Keres was an Estonian chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s, and narrowly missed a chance at a World Chess Championship match on five occasions.
Paul Keres is read about 140 times a day, in 49 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 110 days, one point a day.
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Photos 11
Keres (right) and Estonian president Konstantin Päts in Tallinn in 1938
Keres playing against Reuben Fine at AVRO tournament in 1938
Keres in 1939
Keres at the 1948 World Championship tournament in the Hague: (from left) Max Euwe, Vassily Smyslov, Keres, Mikhail Botvinnik, and Samuel Reshevsky
Keres (right) with Vassily Smyslov in The Hague at the World Chess Championship 1948
Keres at the Hoogovens Tournament in Wijk aan Zee in 1969
Grave of Paul Keres at Forest Cemetery in TallinnAwards
About this person
As Estonia was repeatedly invaded and occupied during World War II, Keres was forced by the circumstances to represent the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany (1941-44) in international tournaments.
