Game summary
Veselin Topalov beat Hikaru Nakamura in 43 moves in round 6 of Champions Showdown 60m in Saint Louis, USA, on 12 November 2016. The opening was the Ruy Lopez (C67).
- White
- Veselin Topalov
- Black
- Hikaru Nakamura
- Result
- White won (1-0)
- Event
- Champions Showdown 60m
- Place
- Saint Louis, USA
- Date
- 12 November 2016 (2016.11.12)
- Round
- 6.2
- Opening
- Ruy Lopez (C67)
- Length
- 43 moves (85 plies)
All moves of Topalov, V vs Nakamura, Hi (PGN move text)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.Nf3 O-O 9.d4 d5 10.c3 Bd6 11.Bd3 Nce7 12.Nbd2 c6 13.Qc2 g6 14.Nf1 Ng7 15.Ng3 f6 16.Bh6 Re8 17.Nh4 Bxg3 18.hxg3 Nef5 19.Qd2 g5 20.Rxe8+ Qxe8 21.Re1 Qd8 22.Nxf5 Nxf5 23.Bxf5 Bxf5 24.Qe2 Kf7 25.g4 Bd7 26.f4 Kg6 27.fxg5 fxg5 28.Qe5 Qf6 29.Qh2 Bxg4 30.Re5 Bf5 31.g4 Bxg4 32.Rxg5+ Qxg5 33.Bxg5 Kxg5 34.Qxh7 b6 35.Qb7 Rc8 36.Qxa7 b5 37.b3 Kf4 38.Kf2 Bf5 39.a4 bxa4 40.bxa4 Ke4 41.a5 Rh8 42.Qc7 Kd3 43.a6 1-0
About This Game
A full-length game in which Topalov, V was paired against Nakamura, Hi at Champions Showdown 60m in Saint Louis USA in 2016. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.
Play followed Ruy Lopez (C67) — classical development and rapid piece play. Such positions test classical principles: quick development, central control, and king safety.
Running to 43 moves, the game moved through a full middlegame into an endgame. Games of this length show how a small advantage is carried from one phase to the next — useful technique to absorb.
Topalov, V is one of the grandmasters featured in the RamaChess archive, where you can browse their complete game collection, favourite openings and notable wins. Studying many games by a single strong player is one of the fastest ways to understand practical chess decisions.
Working through a full game like this trains pattern recognition. The more complete games you study, the more quickly you will spot familiar structures and ideas in your own play.
In the end, Topalov, V won with the white pieces. Step through the moves on the interactive board above, flip the board to see it from either side, and try the position trainer to sharpen your own play.
Frequently asked questions
Who played this game?
This game was played between Topalov, V (White) and Nakamura, Hi (Black), at Champions Showdown 60m in 2016.
What opening was played?
The game used Ruy Lopez (ECO code C67). Classical development and rapid piece play.
What was the result?
Topalov, V won with the white pieces.
How long was the game?
The game lasted 43 moves (85 plies).
Can I replay this game move by move?
Yes. Use the interactive board on this page to step through every move, or open the analyser for engine evaluation and Practice mode to play the positions yourself.
Where can I find more games like this?
Browse the full Ruy Lopez collection, Topalov, V's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.