1 9 3 3 . ▁His ▁playing ▁m ature d ▁after ▁playing ▁correspond ence ▁ch ess ▁extens ively ▁while ▁in ▁high ▁school . ▁He ▁probably ▁played ▁about ▁ 5 0 0 ▁correspond ence ▁games , ▁and ▁at ▁one ▁stage ▁had ▁ 1 5 0 ▁correspond ence ▁games ▁going ▁simultaneously . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁he ▁won ▁the ▁International er ▁Fern sch ach bund ▁( IF SB ) ▁international ▁correspond ence ▁ch ess ▁championship . ▁From ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁he ▁studied ▁mathematics ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁T art u , ▁and ▁competed ▁in ▁several ▁inter univers ity ▁matches . ▁ ▁Pre - war ▁years ▁K eres ▁achieved ▁a ▁very ▁good ▁result ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁in ▁a ▁Master ▁tournament ▁at ▁T all inn ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁with ▁ 5 / 7 ▁ ▁(+ 5 − 2 = 0 ), ▁tied ▁ 3 rd – 4 th , ▁half ▁a ▁point ▁behind ▁joint ▁w inners ▁Paul ▁Felix ▁Schmidt ▁and ▁V . ▁K appe . ▁K eres ▁became ▁champion ▁of ▁Est onia ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁He ▁tied ▁for ▁first ▁(+ 5 − 2 = 1 ) ▁with ▁G unn ar ▁Fried emann ▁in ▁the ▁tournament , ▁then ▁defeated ▁him ▁(+ 2 − 1 = 0 ) ▁in ▁the ▁play off ▁match . ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁K eres ▁defeated ▁Fel iks ▁K ib ber mann , ▁one ▁of