Game summary
Veselin Topalov beat Hikaru Nakamura in 53 moves in round 3 of Champions Showdown G30 in Saint Louis, USA, on 9 November 2017. The opening was the Caro-Kann Defense (B12).
- White
- Veselin Topalov
- Black
- Hikaru Nakamura
- Result
- White won (1-0)
- Event
- Champions Showdown G30
- Place
- Saint Louis, USA
- Date
- 9 November 2017 (2017.11.09)
- Round
- 3.1
- Opening
- Caro-Kann Defense (B12)
- Length
- 53 moves (105 plies)
All moves of Topalov, V vs Nakamura, Hi (PGN move text)
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Ne7 6.c3 h6 7.O-O Nd7 8.Nbd2 Qc7 9.Nb3 g5 10.Ne1 c5 11.Bh5 Bg6 12.f4 c4 13.Nd2 gxf4 14.Rxf4 Bg7 15.Nf1 O-O 16.Ng3 Kh7 17.Rh4 Qd8 18.Nf3 Bd3 19.Bg4 Rh8 20.Nh5 Kg8 21.Rh3 Ng6 22.Be3 Qe7 23.Qd2 Bf8 24.Nf4 Nxf4 25.Bxf4 Bg7 26.Re1 Be4 27.Bxh6 Bxh6 28.Rxh6 Kg7 29.Rxh8 Rxh8 30.Ng5 Bd3 31.g3 Nf8 32.h4 Nh7 33.Nh3 Rg8 34.Kh2 Kh8 35.Bh5 Qf8 36.Nf4 Bf5 37.Qe3 f6 38.Rf1 Qh6 39.Be2 Qg7 40.Nxd5 fxe5 41.dxe5 b5 42.Nf4 Qh6 43.Bh5 Rd8 44.Rd1 Rxd1 45.Bxd1 Ng5 46.Qxa7 Ne4 47.Qa8+ Kh7 48.Bf3 Ng5 49.Qa7+ Kh8 50.Qa8+ Kh7 51.Qb7+ Kh8 52.Qb8+ Kh7 53.Qc7+ 1-0
About This Game
Topalov, V and Nakamura, Hi met over the board in this full-length game at Champions Showdown G30 in Saint Louis USA in 2017. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.
The game opened with Caro-Kann Defense (B12), sharp, double-edged play with chances for both sides. These lines often lead to opposite-side castling and a race to attack the enemy king.
Running to 53 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.
Replaying a complete grandmaster game is more valuable than it first appears. You see not just the moves, but the order in which plans are introduced, how both sides react to threats, and where the balance finally tips.
In the end, Topalov, V won with the white pieces. Use the board above to replay every move at your own pace, switch to the analyser for engine evaluation of the key moments, or open Practice mode to test your own ideas from any position.
Frequently asked questions
Who played this game?
This game was played between Topalov, V (White) and Nakamura, Hi (Black), at Champions Showdown G30 in 2017.
What opening was played?
The game used Caro-Kann Defense (ECO code B12). Sharp, double-edged play with chances for both sides.
What was the result?
Topalov, V won with the white pieces.
How long was the game?
The game lasted 53 moves (105 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 Caro-Kann Defense collection, Topalov, V's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.