▁Due ▁to ▁these ▁and ▁other ▁strong ▁results , ▁many ▁ch ess ▁histor ians ▁consider ▁K eres ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁greatest ▁players ▁in ▁history , ▁and ▁the ▁strong est ▁player ▁never ▁to ▁become ▁world ▁champion . ▁He ▁was ▁nick named ▁" Paul ▁the ▁Second ", ▁" The ▁E ternal ▁Second " ▁and ▁" The ▁Crown ▁Prince ▁of ▁Ch ess ". ▁K eres , ▁Vik tor ▁Kor ch no i ▁and ▁Alexander ▁Bel ia v sky ▁defeated ▁nine ▁world ▁champions — more ▁than ▁anyone ▁else ▁in ▁history . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁K eres ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Nar va ▁( then ▁under ▁supre m acy ▁of ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁now ▁Est onia ). ▁ ▁K eres ▁first ▁learned ▁about ▁ch ess ▁from ▁his ▁father ▁and ▁his ▁older ▁brother ▁Har ald ▁( after wards ▁a ▁prominent ▁phys ic ist , ▁who ▁later ▁told ▁friendly ▁j okes ▁to ▁his ▁students : ▁" I ▁am ▁not ▁Paul ' s ▁brother ; ▁Paul ▁is ▁my ▁brother ." ). ▁With ▁the ▁scarc ity ▁of ▁ch ess ▁literature ▁in ▁his ▁small ▁town , ▁he ▁learned ▁about ▁ch ess ▁notation ▁from ▁the ▁ch ess ▁puzz les ▁in ▁the ▁daily ▁newspaper , ▁and ▁compiled ▁a ▁hand written ▁collection ▁of ▁almost ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁games . ▁In ▁his ▁early ▁days , ▁he ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁a ▁brilliant ▁and ▁sharp ▁attack ing ▁style . ▁ ▁K eres ▁was ▁a ▁three - time ▁Est onian ▁school boy ▁champion , ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁and ▁