Prepare against P. Karthikeyan
GM · India · World #4,657 classical · FIDE ID 5018226
Our database contains 1,023 games by P. Karthikeyan, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find P. Karthikeyan's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout P. 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 | 2,283 | 2,507 | Apr 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,233 | 2,445 | Oct 2014 |
| Blitz | 2,246 | 2,432 | Apr 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,023 | 420 | 371 | 232 | 41.1% |
| As White | 513 | 240 | 186 | 87 | 46.8% |
| As Black | 510 | 180 | 185 | 145 | 35.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of P. Karthikeyan's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from P. Karthikeyan's side.
First moves as White (513 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 324 | 63.2% | 63.7% |
| e4 | 99 | 19.3% | 64.6% |
| Nf3 | 66 | 12.9% | 72.0% |
| c4 | 18 | 3.5% | 58.3% |
| Nc3 | 2 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
| g3 | 2 | 0.4% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 63% of White games, 63.7% score
- …Nf6 (55% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues c4 (65.8% score)
- …d5 (32% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues c4 (62.1% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues c4 (77.8% score)
- 1.e4 — 19% of White games, 64.6% score
- …c5 (52% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues Nf3 (69.3% score)
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues Nf3 (67.5% score)
- …e6 (9% of these games) — Karthikeyan usually continues d4 (61.1% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (230 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 105 | 45.7% | 51.9% |
| c5 | 72 | 31.3% | 54.9% |
| Nc6 | 22 | 9.6% | 77.3% |
| c6 | 13 | 5.7% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 9 | 3.9% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 7 | 3.0% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (178 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 157 | 88.2% | 56.1% |
| d5 | 17 | 9.6% | 44.1% |
| c5 | 3 | 1.7% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
P. Karthikeyan's chess games
All 1,023 games by P. Karthikeyan in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 420 wins, 371 draws, 232 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 56 | 32/17/7 | 57.1% |
| D17 | Slav Defense | 53 | 20/21/12 | 37.7% |
| E04 | Catalan | 32 | 15/12/5 | 46.9% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 26 | 8/15/3 | 30.8% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 23 | 14/4/5 | 60.9% |
| A30 | English Opening | 22 | 15/3/4 | 68.2% |
| B42 | Sicilian | 20 | 10/5/5 | 50.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 16 | 6/8/2 | 37.5% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 11 | 4/4/3 | 36.4% |
| A84 | Semi-Slav Defense | 11 | 6/4/1 | 54.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A48 | Indian Defense | 36 | 10/16/10 | 27.8% |
| A17 | English Opening | 32 | 8/13/11 | 25.0% |
| A34 | Sicilian | 25 | 10/9/6 | 40.0% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 23 | 9/6/8 | 39.1% |
| E04 | Catalan | 20 | 8/6/6 | 40.0% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 14 | 7/6/1 | 50.0% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 14 | 10/3/1 | 71.4% |
| B80 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 14 | 4/4/6 | 28.6% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 14 | 4/7/3 | 28.6% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 14 | 3/4/7 | 21.4% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2016 | Bassem Amin | 2,655 | 18th Dubai Open | C45 |
| Apr 2017 | Zhong Zhang | 2,641 | 19th Dubai Open | E32 |
| Dec 2008 | Tigran L. Petrosian | 2,629 | 1st Asia Clubs | C78 |
| Jan 2009 | Yuriy Kuzubov | 2,626 | 7th New Delhi Parsvnath Open | E11 |
| Apr 2012 | Levente Vajda | 2,597 | 50th Doeberl Cup | E72 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-Commonwealth | 2019 | 49 | 35.5 | 2,457 |
| Wch U20 | 2009 | 23 | 13 | 2,434 |
| ch-Asia U20 | 2009 | 17 | 10.5 | 2,327 |
| 49th chA-IND | 2011 | 13 | 6.5 | 2,418 |
| ch-IND 53rd | 2015 | 13 | 6.5 | 2,505 |
| 59th ch-IND | 2023 | 13 | 8.5 | 2,353 |
| ch-IND 48th | 2010 | 13 | 6 | 2,367 |
| ch-IND Velammal 45th | 2008 | 13 | 6 | 2,379 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Deepan Chakkravarthy J. (12 games) · R.R. Laxman (11 games) · S.P. Sethuraman (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,023 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find P. Karthikeyan's chess games?
1,023 games by P. Karthikeyan, from Apr 2003 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 P. Karthikeyan has played.
What does P. Karthikeyan play on the first move as White?
Across 513 games with White in our database, P. Karthikeyan opens with 1.d4 (63% of games), 1.e4 (19% of games), 1.Nf3 (13% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, P. Karthikeyan answers 1...e5 (46% of games), 1...c5 (31% of games), 1...Nc6 (10% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (88% of games), 1...d5 (10% of games), 1...c5 (2% of games).
What openings does P. Karthikeyan play as White?
As White, P. Karthikeyan's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (56 games, 57.1% win rate); Slav Defense (53 games, 37.7% win rate); Catalan (32 games, 46.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 513 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does P. Karthikeyan play as Black?
As Black, P. Karthikeyan most often plays: Indian Defense (36 games, 27.8% win rate); English Opening (32 games, 25.0% win rate); Sicilian (25 games, 40.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 510 games.
What is P. Karthikeyan's FIDE rating?
P. Karthikeyan is currently rated 2,283 in classical chess, 2,233 in rapid and 2,246 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,507 (Apr 2017).
How many games has P. Karthikeyan played?
Our database contains 1,023 games by P. Karthikeyan, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 420 wins, 371 draws, 232 losses (41.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against P. Karthikeyan?
1,023 games by P. 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.