Paul Keres was born in Narva on the 7th of January in 1916. In addition to his amazing chess skills, he became known for his admirable personality traits already during his lifetime.

Keres spent his childhood and early adult years in Pärnu. He graduated high school in 1934 and from 1937 until 1943 studied Maths at the University of Tartu.

In his early 20s, Keres broke through into to world elite. In the end of 1930s many believed that it was a matter of time until Keres would be crowned as the next world champion. This became even more topical after his famous win of the AVRO tournament in the Netherlands in 1938 leaving the other top players, including the world champion Aleksander Alehhin, behind him. Winning the AVRO tournament gave Keres the right to play the match against Alehhin but due to different circumstances the match never actually took place. The second world war started and in July 1940, Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union and lost its independence.

Keres never doubted his mission. He was always searching for a deeper understanding of the chess game and despite the difficult circumstances, hard work and dedication led him to become one of the best players of his time. He has been an idol and inspiration for all the following Estonian chess players in one way or another.