While Estonia was under Soviet occupation for much of Keres' playing career, which, due to political reasons, meant he was in effect held back from reaching the pinnacle of chess in the Soviet Union and with opportunities to compete sometimes restricted, he remained a source of pride for Estonians.

After Estonia regained its independence in the 1990s, his likeness graced the five kroon bill, in circulation from 1992 to 2011.

Lennart Meri, Estonia's first president following the restoration of independence, said Keres "was a bridge in time, connecting the pre-war Estonia with the Estonia where we were not free, dreaming of freedom, just as he dreamed of his great victory."

The chess great passed away on June 5, 1975, from a heart attack in Helsinki, while returning from a competition in Vancouver.

A staggering 100,000 people thronged the streets of Tallinn to watch his funeral procession.

Born in Narva, Keres became an international grandmaster as early as 1937.

Throughout his long career, spanning both the first Estonian Republic and the Soviet occupation, Keres was a national champion five times (in 1935, 1942, 1943, 1945, and 1953) and a three-time Soviet chess champion (1947, 1950, 1951).

He also formed part of the Soviet team, which won the International Chess Olympiad seven times and the European Championship three times.

Despite the label of being the "eternal second," Keres remained at the peak of the game for over three decades, playing in 67 international tournaments and winning or sharing first place in 30 of these.

His form was such that a match between Keres and reigning world champion Alexander Alekhine, a Russian dissident, never materialized, reportedly due to Soviet authorities obstructing the encounter from going ahead. The outbreak of World War Two also disrupted things.

In a radio interview in 1963, Keres said chess "fascinated me from very early childhood."

"Moreover, when I got to know the game, I was immediately, one might say, lost in its embrace," he added.

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