Prepare against Murali Karthikeyan
GM · India · World #47 classical · FIDE ID 5074452
Our database contains 2,112 games by Murali Karthikeyan, covering Apr 2008 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Murali Karthikeyan's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Murali Karthikeyan before a game. You can open the same data in the free interactive preparation workstation, which builds a move-by-move opening tree from every game.
Ratings
| Time control | Current | Peak | Peak date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 2,668 | 2,669 | Sep 2025 |
| Rapid | 2,524 | 2,530 | Jun 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,528 | 2,580 | May 2022 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,112 | 1,071 | 559 | 482 | 50.7% |
| As White | 1,068 | 558 | 279 | 231 | 52.2% |
| As Black | 1,044 | 513 | 280 | 251 | 49.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Murali Karthikeyan's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Murali Karthikeyan's side.
First moves as White (1,061 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 791 | 74.6% | 64.0% |
| Nf3 | 190 | 17.9% | 69.7% |
| d4 | 67 | 6.3% | 70.1% |
| b4 | 3 | 0.3% | 66.7% |
| b3 | 3 | 0.3% | 66.7% |
| g3 | 3 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 75% of White games, 64.0% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues Nf3 (62.1% score)
- …e5 (32% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues Nf3 (65.9% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues d4 (69.2% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 18% of White games, 69.7% score
- …Nf6 (46% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues g3 (71.9% score)
- …d5 (40% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues g3 (73.5% score)
- …c5 (8% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues e4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (463 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 324 | 70.0% | 66.2% |
| e5 | 100 | 21.6% | 50.5% |
| g6 | 26 | 5.6% | 53.8% |
| c6 | 3 | 0.6% | 100.0% |
| e6 | 2 | 0.4% | 75.0% |
| a6 | 2 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (391 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 326 | 83.4% | 62.9% |
| d5 | 60 | 15.3% | 62.5% |
| g6 | 3 | 0.8% | 100.0% |
| f6 | 1 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Murali Karthikeyan's chess games
All 2,112 games by Murali Karthikeyan in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2008 - Aug 2026) are free to browse, search and replay: filter by opening, opponent, event or date on the player page, or step through any game on the analysis board. Record: 1,071 wins, 559 draws, 482 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B30 | Sicilian | 103 | 50/26/27 | 48.5% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 95 | 41/24/30 | 43.2% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 94 | 56/16/22 | 59.6% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 56 | 26/25/5 | 46.4% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 52 | 29/15/8 | 55.8% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 49 | 16/24/9 | 32.7% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 42 | 30/4/8 | 71.4% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 32 | 21/6/5 | 65.6% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 30 | 10/16/4 | 33.3% |
| B11 | Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation | 25 | 11/3/11 | 44.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 180 | 94/39/47 | 52.2% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 112 | 57/28/27 | 50.9% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 58 | 34/16/8 | 58.6% |
| E05 | Catalan | 51 | 16/24/11 | 31.4% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 40 | 23/9/8 | 57.5% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 38 | 22/5/11 | 57.9% |
| A15 | English Opening | 35 | 16/6/13 | 45.7% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 30 | 10/9/11 | 33.3% |
| E90 | King's Indian Defense | 27 | 14/6/7 | 51.9% |
| B45 | Sicilian: Four Knights | 26 | 17/4/5 | 65.4% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,839 | Qatar Masters Open | C77 |
| Jan 2019 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2,780 | 17th Gibraltar Masters | B90 |
| Aug 2020 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,777 | Titled Tue | C67 |
| Jul 2026 | So,W | 2,765 | Titled Tue 14th Jul 2026 | E93 |
| May 2024 | Erigaisi Arjun | 2,761 | Titled Tue Early | A34 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 439 | 292.5 | 2,539 |
| Qatar Masters Open | 2024 | 27 | 17 | 2,632 |
| Wch U16 | 2014 | 22 | 17 | 2,505 |
| FIDE Grand Swiss | 2025 | 22 | 8.5 | 2,522 |
| Abu Dhabi Masters Online | 2025 | 19 | 11 | 2,477 |
| ch-Commonwealth | 2015 | 16 | 10.5 | 2,299 |
| MPL Indian Chess Tour N4 | 2022 | 15 | 9.5 | 2,652 |
| MPL Indian Chess Tour N3 | 2022 | 15 | 7.5 | 2,559 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: S.P. Sethuraman (16 games) · Erigaisi Arjun (15 games) · Abhimanyu Puranik (13 games) · Parham Maghsoodloo (13 games) · Santosh Gujrathi Vidit (12 games) · Narayanan S L (11 games) · Chithambaram VR. Aravindh (11 games) · Tuan Minh Le (11 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,112 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Murali Karthikeyan's chess games?
2,112 games by Murali Karthikeyan, from Apr 2008 to Aug 2026, are free to browse and replay move by move — no signup needed. The preparation view groups them into an opening tree showing every line Murali Karthikeyan has played.
What does Murali Karthikeyan play on the first move as White?
Across 1,061 games with White in our database, Murali Karthikeyan opens with 1.e4 (75% of games), 1.Nf3 (18% of games), 1.d4 (6% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Murali Karthikeyan answers 1...c5 (70% of games), 1...e5 (22% of games), 1...g6 (6% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (83% of games), 1...d5 (15% of games), 1...g6 (1% of games).
What openings does Murali Karthikeyan play as White?
As White, Murali Karthikeyan's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (103 games, 48.5% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (95 games, 43.2% win rate); Réti Opening (94 games, 59.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,068 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Murali Karthikeyan play as Black?
As Black, Murali Karthikeyan most often plays: Sicilian (180 games, 52.2% win rate); Indian Defense (112 games, 50.9% win rate); Sicilian: Rossolimo (58 games, 58.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,044 games.
What is Murali Karthikeyan's FIDE rating?
Murali Karthikeyan is currently rated 2,668 in classical chess, 2,524 in rapid and 2,528 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,669 (Sep 2025).
How many games has Murali Karthikeyan played?
Our database contains 2,112 games by Murali Karthikeyan, covering Apr 2008 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 1,071 wins, 559 draws, 482 losses (50.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against Murali Karthikeyan?
2,112 games by Murali Karthikeyan reveal their opening repertoire, most-played lines, and the variations where they score worst — the raw material for targeted preparation. The interactive opening tree lets you walk every line to any depth.