Botvinnik claimed that the reasons why Keres never reached the very top was twofold. First, when confronted with new openings he did not “orientate himself” well and he generally preferred obsolete opening systems. Second, he had a “psychological problem” on that he had “a tendency to fade somewhat at decisive moments” and “when his mood was spoiled he played below his capabilities.”
Keres' health began declining in about 1973 and he played very little after that. In 1975, while returning home from a tournament in Vancouver, Canada, he died of a heart attack in Helsinki, Finland; he was only 59 years old. Vancouver was an open tournament and Keres scored +7 -0 =3 to finish 1.5 points ahead of Gyozo Forintos (Hungary), John Watson (United States) and Elod Macskasy (Canada). He was buried in Tallinn and over 100,000 (!) were in attendance at his funeral, including former World Champion Max Euwe.
While admired for his dashing stylr over the board, little emphasis has been placed on his early correspondence career. In the 1930s, while still in high school, his play matured as a result of his correspondence play. It’s said that he probably played about 1500 correspondence games. In 1935, at the age of 19, he won the Internationaler Fernschachbund (IFSB) international correspondence championship.
Today’s game, a correspondence game that won a Brilliancy Prize, is one of the earliest known examples in which Keres carried out an attack on the grand manner in which he later became famous for in his over the board play.
[Event "Correspondence (Brilliancy Prize)"]
[Site "corr"]
[Date "1932.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "M. von Feilitzsch (Germany)"]
[Black "Paul Keres (Estonia)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C22"]
[Annotator "Komodo Dragon 3"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "1932.??.??"]
{C22: Center Game} 1. e4 e5 2. d4 {The Center Game had mostly been abandoned
by 1900 because white couldm't demonstrate any advantage. More recently GM
Alexander Shabalov revived it in the 1980s and later Alexei Shirov, Michael
Adams, Judit Polgár and Alexander Morozevich gave it a try. Any success they
had with it was probably more to to their great strength that the mnerits of
the opening.} exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 {White's early Q move allows black to develop
with a tempo, nut it's white's hope that he can develop a quick attack.} 4. Qe3
Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. O-O-O Re8 8. Bc4 {This is an attempt to obtain a
speculative attack at the cost of a Pawn. White usually plays 8.Qg3} d6 {
[%mdl 32] Rather than accept the P, Keres prefers to take the initiative
himself. Later he thought 8...Ba5 and 9...d5 would have been better, but that
is not the necessarily true.} (8... Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Nxe4 10. Qf4 {was played in
Winawer-Steinitz, Nuremburg, 1896. The chances are equal.}) 9. f3 Na5 10. Bd3 (
10. Bb3 Nxb3+ 11. axb3 a5 12. Qf2 Bd7 13. Nge2 a4 {Black has a slight
advantage which he was able to convert to a win. Romero Holmes,A (2490)-Karpov,
A (2725) Madrid 1992}) 10... d5 {An excellent move that frees his game and
threatens ...d4. White should have now offered a B trade with either 11.Nb5 or
11.Nce2} 11. Qg5 h6 (11... d4 {at once is less effective. 12.Nd5 was vorrect/}
12. Nce2 {...but not after this!} h6 13. Qg3 Bxd2+ 14. Rxd2 c5 {and black has
a significant advantage. Rudd,J (2288)-Rayner,F (2166) Hastings ENG 2013}) 12.
Qh4 d4 {Black is doing quite well here, but white should still play 13.Nd5} 13.
Nce2 Bxd2+ $1 $19 14. Rxd2 c5 {White's opening has turned out to be a fiasco.
He is not only sadly backward in his development, but he is also threatened by
a P-storm on the Q-side. In fact, Keres has a decisive advantage.} 15. c4 {
After this B is worthless, and black's passed d-Pawn is more formidable than
ever. White discarded 15.b4 because it would weaken his dark squares and, also,
it would not restrain the advance of black's Ps. However, the text move also
sets up an equally flimsy barrier.} (15. b3 {was necessary.} Nc6 16. g4 {
At least trying to counterattack.} Nb4 17. g5 (17. Kb1 {allows the nifty move}
Nxe4 18. Qxd8 Nxd2+ 19. Kc1 Nxb3+ 20. axb3 Nxd3+ 21. cxd3 Rxd8 {with an easy
win.}) 17... Nh7 18. Kb2 hxg5 19. Qg3 a5 {Black is winning.}) 15... Be6 16. b3
{It is futile to try to avoid this weakening move.} (16. e5 {This forces the
trade of Qs, but it does not solve white's problems.} Nd7 17. Qxd8 Raxd8 {
and white is faced with a loss of an important P...either on c4 or e5.}) 16...
b5 {Beginning the attack in earnest.} 17. Nf4 (17. cxb5 {allows a pretty
sacrifice...} Bxb3 18. axb3 Nxb3+ 19. Kd1 Nxd2 20. Kxd2 Nxe4+) 17... bxc4 18.
Nxe6 Rxe6 19. bxc4 Rb8 20. Ne2 Qb6 {Black's P advance has resulted in the
opening of the b-file which he now proceeds to exploit. The immediate threat
is ...Nxc4 and the N is immune because of ...Qb1#} 21. Kd1 Qb4 22. Qg3 Nd7 {
An unobtrusive move, but it lays the froundwork for some tactical fireworks.
It's a multi-purpose move that protects the R on b1 which frees the Q and it
makes room for the R on e6 to move along the rank.} 23. Rc2 Qa3 24. f4 {
This is refuted in elegant style, but there was no satisfactory defense.} (24.
Nc1 Rg6 25. Qh3 Rb1 26. Ke2 Rb2 27. Kd1 Rxc2 28. Kxc2 {Watch black's far away
N on d7 join the attack.} Ne5 29. f4 Qc3+ 30. Kd1 Ng4 {There is no answer to
the threat of ...Nf2+} 31. Rf1 Nxc4 32. Bxc4 Ne3+ 33. Ke2 Qxc4+ 34. Nd3 Qc2+
35. Kf3 Qxd3) 24... Rg6 {It;s time for the aforementioned lateral movement of
the R.} 25. Qf3 Rxg2 {[%mdl 512] The R cannot be taken.} 26. e5 {Keeping the
Rook under attack, and threatening B-R 7 ch. Keres could extricate himself
with the put in ready 2e chooses a ris looking continuation which soon leaves
two more pieces en prise !} (26. Qxg2 Qxd3+ 27. Rd2 Rb1+ 28. Nc1 Qxc4 29. Rc2
Qd3+ 30. Rd2 (30. Qd2 Qf3+) 30... Qa3 31. Rc2 d3 {wins. For exampls, if} 32.
Re1 dxc2+ 33. Qxc2 Rb2 {wins the Q.}) 26... Rb1+ 27. Rc1 {It's time for
another sacrifice.} Nxc4 {[%mdl 512]} 28. Rxb1 Ne3+ 29. Qxe3 {This is a waste
of postage.} (29. Ke1 {allows a mate in 3} Qa5+ 30. Rb4 Qxb4+ 31. Nc3 Qxc3#) (
29. Kd2 Qc3#) 29... dxe3 30. Bc4 Qa4+ 31. Bb3 Qe4 32. Rb2 Rxe2 {This R has
come a long way from e6. White resigned because he must lose at least a piece.
Flawless play by Keres.} (32... Rxe2 33. Kxe2 (33. Rxe2 Qb1#) 33... Qxh1 34.
Kxe3 g5 {wins easily.}) 0-1
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