Notable Games
Paul Keres
16 celebrated games · 936 in the full archive
◈The games that made the legend
Keres – Winter · 1935 · 1–0
A 19-move Sicilian miniature at the 1935 Warsaw Olympiad, finished off by a piece sacrifice and a mating attack in Keres's international breakthrough.
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Keres – Alekhine · 1937 · 1–0
The 21-year-old Keres outplays reigning World Champion Alexander Alekhine in a Ruy Lopez at Margate 1937, a signature win of his rise to the world elite.
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Keres – Capablanca · 1938 · 1–0
A celebrated French Tarrasch win over former World Champion Jose Raul Capablanca at the mighty AVRO 1938 tournament, where Keres tied for first.
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Keres – Reshevsky · 1938 · 1–0
A Ruy Lopez victory over Samuel Reshevsky at AVRO 1938, one of Keres's key results in sharing first place in perhaps the strongest tournament ever held.
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Euwe – Keres · 1940 · 0–1
A brilliant Queen's Indian counterattack against former World Champion Max Euwe from their 1939-40 match, which Keres won to confirm his championship credentials.
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Keres – Botvinnik · 1948 · 1–0
Keres's lone win over Mikhail Botvinnik at the 1948 World Championship tournament, a French Winawer struck in the final round.
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Keres – Euwe · 1948 · 1–0
A win over former World Champion Max Euwe at the 1948 World Championship tournament, the event where Keres finished among the top three.
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Keres – Kotov · 1950 · 1–0
A sharp Sicilian Najdorf attacking win over Alexander Kotov at the 1950 Budapest Candidates Tournament.
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Keres – Petrosian · 1953 · 1–0
A King's Indian win over future World Champion Tigran Petrosian at the 1953 Zurich Candidates Tournament.
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Keres – Najdorf · 1955 · 1–0
The famous "Gothenburg" game: Keres refutes Najdorf's Sicilian with 11.Nxe6! at the 1955 Gothenburg Interzonal, part of the celebrated Soviet trilogy.
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Keres – Spassky · 1955 · 1–0
A Queen's Indian win over future World Champion Boris Spassky at the 1955 Gothenburg Interzonal.
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Keres – Botvinnik · 1956 · 1–0
A Sicilian Richter-Rauzer win over World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik at the 1956 Alekhine Memorial in Moscow.
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Keres – Tal · 1959 · 1–0
An English Opening win over Mikhail Tal at the 1959 Candidates Tournament, where Keres finished a close second in the year Tal earned his title shot.
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Fischer – Keres · 1959 · 0–1
Keres grinds down a 16-year-old Bobby Fischer in a 55-move Caro-Kann endgame at the 1959 Candidates Tournament.
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Keres – Geller · 1962 · 1–0
A Semi-Tarrasch win over Efim Geller in the 1962 Candidates playoff, where Keres again narrowly missed a title match.
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Keres – Walther · 1964 · 1–0
A King's Indian attacking win over Edgar Walther at the 1964 Tel Aviv Olympiad, admired for Keres's energetic sacrificial handling of the Petrosian System.
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