Keres- Why Didn't He Make It?

Some say Keres was the greatest player to never become world champion. Today I want to ask a question: why, in your opinion, didn't Keres have that little bit extra to make it to the very top? I am also open to answers for other players, such as Bronstein. 

Its common knowledge that because he wasnt "Russian" he was subjected to "forces" that prevented him from reaching the world championship.

He happened to be around at the same time as Karpov, who was at the time, was the Russian favorite.  

In the 1951 WC match vs Botvinnik Bronstein made a huge endgame blunder whilst leading the match, and a certain draw became a loss. The match finished 12-12 and as per the rules the defending champion Botvinnik retained the title in the event of a tie. Bronstein never got close to the title again.

World War II

Otherwise he (probably) would have played Alekhine in 1940 or so.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Keres

"Keres narrowly missed a chance at a world championship match on five occasions. He won the 1938 AVRO tournament, which led to negotiations for a title match against champion Alexander Alekhine, but the match never took place due to World War II. After the war Keres was runner-up in the Candidates' Tournament on four consecutive occasions.

Due to these and other strong results, many chess historians consider Keres one of the greatest players in history, and the strongest player never to become world champion. "

Too true. Bronstein was so very close to being world champion.

Less well known is how close he came to not being in that match. The candidates tournament ended in a tie between Bronstein and Isaac Boleslavsky. Boleslavsky is relatively unknown now, but his contributions to the theory of the Sicilian and the KID are used at the highest levels today. (Think of the d6 pawn: it was largely Boleslavsky who showed that it wasn’t necessarily weak in those openings. After ...e5 in the Sicilian, for example, the d5 square is referred to as the Boleslavsky hole.) A twelve game playoff match was drawn, and Bronstein beat Boleslavsky in the second game of an additional playoff to reach the match with Botvinnik.

Furthermore, Boleslavsky then acted as Bronstein's second for the match with Botvinnik and Bronstein later married his daughter!

Reported.

Yeah guys MyPalBenko is a troll. Just ignore him, he's making crappy remarks on almost all the forums

And that is why he is reported.

Lol okay I gotcha

 WW2 cost Keres "a title match against champion Alexander Alekhine."

WW1 cost Rubenstein, who "was scheduled to play a match with Emanuel Lasker for the World Chess Championship in 1914, but it was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War I.  He was unable to recreate the same form after the war, and his later life was plagued by mental illness."

War sux!

 Ivanchuk is also one of the greatest players in history, and arguably the strongest player never to become world champion

Ivanchuk missed his chance to become Fide WC when he lost in the finals against Ponomariov. It is a knockout format. Chucky in form beats everyone including WC Kasparov. Out of form, he lost badly.

There has been much talk about the Russians not wanting an Estonian as World Champ. How they arranged for that to be the case, I don't know: did other Soviet players draw or lose candidates matches so that Keres wouldn't finish first after WW2?

O.K.!! Keres not being 'Russian' had nothing to do with anything!! ( Neither Tal nor Petrosian were 'Russian) He was not favored politically because of his participation in events in Nazi occupied territory during WW11. Bottvinnik, on the other hand, was very much politically favored. There is plenty of stuff on the internet about the Bottvinnik - Keres scenario.

The only properly documented case of Keres  being pressurised during a World championship cycle is the candidates tournament of 1953. Smyslov was the man chosen as the USSR's main representative, and both Keres and Bronstein were told not to beat him. There is a period around 1950 - 1953 where the historical ratings sites have keres as the World's strongest player. It is easy to speculate, particularly as he came close, but not close enough, to a World Title match, as to various political maneuverings behind the scenes. It is equally easy to say that he simply didn't play well enough when it mattered. Pay your money and take your choice!! He himself said that he was not yet strong enough to have realistic hopes of success against Alekhine (their war-time records would support that view!! ) but I,for one, would have loved to have seen such a match.

Bronstein had his chance - and, according to his writings he was pressurised during the match.

I know you are buying 'The Sorcerers Apprentice', and there is quite a bit in there about the match, as well as the Bronstein - Boleslavsky conspiracy.

Lasker went to a great deal of trouble - not helped by Capablanca's challenge - trying to arrange a match with Rubinstein pre WW1. From what I have read the main obstacle - the players having agreed terms for the match - was raising the money. ( a problem which has affected many a projected title match, and had led to the lasker - Schlechter match being reduced to 10 games a couple of years earlier.) As an admirer of both players, that is another match I would have loved to see take place!! 

Korchnoi simply couldn't win a match against Karpov!!

@marklovejoy. The Keres book is great stuff. One of my chess inspirations. 

Let me throw another question in here. Wikipedia says: 

Benko qualified for the 1970 Interzonal tournament, the leaders of which advance to the Candidates. However, he gave up his spot in the Interzonal to Bobby Fischer, who went on to win the World Championship in 1972.

How do you think Benko would have done if he hadn't sacrificed his position for Fischer? Was he good enough to make a serious dent in the Candidates?