Paul Keres was born in Narva, Estonia, on 7 January 1916. From the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s he was one of the world's best players, finishing second or runner-up in four consecutive Candidates Tournaments and narrowly missing the chance to play a World Championship match. From 1940 to 1941 and from 1944 until his death on 5 June 1975, he represented the Soviet Union, which had annexed Keres' native Estonia during the Second World War.
Keres was also a renowned and prolific writer and is regarded in Estonia as one of the greatest sports stars of all time. His image appeared on the former Estonian 5 kroon banknote.
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