Players
Murali Karthikeyan
Photo: Stefan64, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
GM

Murali Karthikeyan

IndiaBorn 1999 (age 27)FIDE ID 5074452

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2663
FIDE

FIDE classical

17502000225025002750200920122015201820212024
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2658
Luft

Flair

Murali Karthikeyan's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Fighter59% decisive: 13 wins, 6 losses
  • TitanLuft classical rating averaging 2800+ over the last 4 years
  • Serial WinnerWon 2+ elite events in the last 12 months
  • UnderdogRegularly beats players rated 50+ higher
  • Fortress25+ games in a row without a loss
  • Black BeltDoes better with black than with white
  • IronmanPlayed 50+ games over the last 12 months
  • RisingAged 18 or under, Luft rating up 40+ over the last 12 months
  • Endgame SpecialistEndgame 90+: converting, saving and not throwing endgames
  • TacticianTactics 90+: sharp, tactical games they made sharp
  • LightningTop 20 at speed chess (mostly blitz, some rapid)
  • Hot StreakAt least 6 points from 7 straight games against strong opposition
  • SignatureSticks to one defence with black far more than most
  • ChameleonPlays a wide range of defences with black
  • WildcardBrilliant one event, off the next: hard to predict
  • ReliableConsistent across all top events
  • AdaptableTactics and Positional both 90+
  • PositionalPositional 90+: slow, quiet games they steered
  • PodiumTop 3 in at least half of their elite events
  • Fighter

Trophy cabinet

No classical titles on record yet.

Attributes

Tactics 80Positional 82Endgame 84Openings 85Composure 87Defence 85Speed 75Consistency 84

Luft classical rating

2663No. 59

From 32 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2658 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2658 level, blended with their FIDE rating0
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year+3
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+1
Activity32 classical games in top events+1

Openings

Their most-played, from 88 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Ruy Lopez1060%
Sicilian Defense888%
French Defense560%
Petrov's Defense350%
Caro-Kann Defense275%

Ruy Lopez

With White: 10 games, won 3, drew 6, lost 1 · 60%

VariationGamesScore
Closed367%
Morphy Defense350%
Berlin Defense275%
Open150%
Schliemann Defense150%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 8 games, won 6, drew 2, lost 0 · 88%

VariationGamesScore
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack383%
Najdorf Variation383%
Richter-Rauzer Variation1100%
Alapin Variation1100%

French Defense

With White: 5 games, won 3, drew 0, lost 2 · 60%

VariationGamesScore
Tarrasch Variation250%
Advance Variation250%
Steinitz Variation1100%

Petrov's Defense

With White: 3 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Millennium Attack250%
Classical Attack150%

Caro-Kann Defense

With White: 2 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 0 · 75%

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation275%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 11 games, won 2, drew 5, lost 4 · 41%

VariationGamesScore
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack463%
Alapin Variation250%
Taimanov Variation150%
Closed150%
French Variation10%
Delayed Alapin Variation10%
Four Knights Variation10%

Italian Game

With Black: 8 games, won 4, drew 3, lost 1 · 69%

VariationGamesScore
Two Knights Defense560%
Classical Variation275%
Giuoco Pianissimo1100%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 5 games, won 2, drew 0, lost 3 · 40%

VariationGamesScore
Three Knights Variation333%
Exchange Variation1100%
Main line10%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

With Black: 4 games, won 3, drew 1, lost 0 · 88%

VariationGamesScore
Kmoch Variation1100%
Classical Variation1100%
Normal Variation1100%
Three Knights Variation150%

Semi-Slav Defense

With Black: 4 games, won 0, drew 3, lost 1 · 38%

VariationGamesScore
Main line350%
Anti-Moscow Gambit10%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
1st Chola Chess Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament 20267 Nov 2026=11th−4−5
41st European Chess Club Cup 202623 Oct 20264½/6+10+12
Serbian Super League 202613 Oct 20266/9+4+6
KazChess Masters29 Nov 20254½/9−12−13
FIDE World Cup 20255 Nov 20251/2−2−2

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMM. Carlsen18 Oct 2023 · Qatar Masters 20232839
GMY. Erdogmus20 Oct 2026 · 41st European Chess Club Cup 20262731
GMS. Vidit13 Aug 2025 · Chennai Grand Masters 20252720
GMJ. van Foreest10 Aug 2025 · Chennai Grand Masters 20252697
GMM. Tabatabaei10 Dec 2024 · Qatar Masters 20242695

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMP. IdaniLast 5 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Cup 20253120
GMN. SarinLast 23 Oct 2026 · 41st European Chess Club Cup 20263111
GMR. VaishaliLast 11 Nov 2024 · Chennai Grandmasters 20242110
GMNarayanan S L.Last 4 Nov 2026 · 1st Chola Chess Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament 20262020
GMPranesh M.Last 3 Nov 2026 · 1st Chola Chess Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament 20262020

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How attributes are calculated

From their games in top events over the last 12 months, each judged against the opponent's rating

  • TacticsHow well they score in sharp games they chose to make sharp.
  • PositionalHow well they score in quiet, manoeuvring games they steered.
  • EndgameHow they do in endgames against what the position promised when it began: converting a winning one earns a little, saving a losing one earns a lot, and throwing a winning one costs a lot.
  • OpeningsThe engine's verdict on their position around moves 15 to 20, against what's normal for that colour, as the score it points to. Over the last 4 years, with older games counting less.
  • ComposureHow well they score under pressure: the game straight after a loss, and the last 3 games of an event while they can still win it. Over the last 4 years.
  • DefenceHow they do in games where they were 0.8 pawns or more worse after move 18, against what that position usually scores: holding the draw earns, turning it around earns more, and losing costs a little.
  • SpeedTheir Luft rapid and blitz ratings. With neither, an estimate a little below their classical level.
  • ConsistencyTheir Luft rating, less their off days: tournaments (5+ games each) over the last 4 years where they played 50+ below it. Anything better never counts against them.

  • "How well they score" is a performance rating: the opponent's rating, plus 400 for a win and minus 400 for a loss, averaged. So it's always judged against who they played.

    The score out of 100: 80 is a 2600 level, and each 13 rating points adds one, so 2860 and up is 100.

    Fair to everyone: with only a few games of a kind, the result leans towards their overall Luft rating. Strengths and weaknesses are measured against their overall level and compared with the top 100, so a specialist's best side stands out. A little recent form is added to all but Speed.