karthik

Karthik: The Blitz Marathon Man

If chess had a frequent flyer program, karthik (known on the board as Kaartlbob) would have enough miles to fly to the moon and back. With well over ten thousand blitz games logged, karthik does not play chess so much as he lives in it, renting a small apartment somewhere between move twenty and time trouble.

His weapon of choice? A near-religious devotion to e4 and the Sicilian Defense. The Closed Sicilian alone accounts for more than 1,600 of his blitz battles, making it the single most visited opening in his entire chess career. When you sit down against Kaartlbob, do not expect surprises on move one. Expect the Sicilian. Accept the Sicilian. Become the Sicilian.