Karthikeyan Beats Karthikeyan!

Karthikeyan Beats Karthikeyan!
By Arvind Aaron

International Master P Karthikeyan scored his second straight win to join Vidit Gujrathi in the lead after two rounds of the ONGC National Premier Chess Championship at Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu on November 16, 2015.

Last year, Karthikeyan made a norm at Kottayam and this time he has started well winning both his games against higher rated opponents. He beat Karthikeyan Murali, the younger player from Chennai.

Vidit Gujrathi beat Rathnakaran to start briskly on 2/2. The other top seed and defending champion Sethuraman suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Neelotpal Das.

Bottom rated Praneeth Surya hitback from the opening round loss to defeat Abhijit Kunte.

The results (round two): GM M.R. Venkatesh (TN) 0 lost to IM P Shyaamnikhil (TN) 1; GM Vidit Gujrathi (Mah) 2 bt IM K Rathnakaran (Ker) 1; GM Abhijit Kunte (Mah) 0 lost to FM K Praneeth Surya (Tel) 1; IM Swapnil Dhopade (Mah) 1 drew with GM M Shyam Sundar (TN) 1.5; IM Arghyadip Das (WB) 1.5 bt GM Deep Sengupta (WB) 0.5; GM S.P. Sethuraman (TN) 1 lost to GM Neelotpal Das (WB) 1.5; IM P Karthikeyan (TN) 2 bt Karthikeyan Murali (TN) 0.