Game summary
Veselin Topalov and Hikaru Nakamura drew in 33 moves in round 1 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
- Draw (½-½)
- Event
- Champions Showdown G30
- Place
- Saint Louis, USA
- Date
- 9 November 2017 (2017.11.09)
- Round
- 1.1
- Opening
- Caro-Kann Defense (B12)
- Length
- 33 moves (65 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 Nd7 7.O-O h6 8.Nbd2 g5 9.Re1 Qc7 10.Nf1 Bh7 11.Ng3 Nf5 12.Bd3 Nxg3 13.Bxh7 Rxh7 14.fxg3 Be7 15.Qd3 Rg7 16.a4 O-O-O 17.a5 c5 18.Be3 h5 19.Rf1 Kb8 20.Qd2 Rdg8 21.b4 c4 22.Rae1 Qd8 23.Re2 Ka8 24.Ne1 f6 25.exf6 Nxf6 26.Nf3 Ne4 27.Qc2 Rf7 28.Rfe1 Bd6 29.Nd2 Nf6 30.Nf3 Ne4 31.Nd2 Nf6 32.Nf3 Ne4 33.Nd2 1/2-1/2
About This Game
In this encounter Topalov, V had the white pieces against Nakamura, Hi at Champions Showdown G30 in Saint Louis USA in 2017. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.
Play followed 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.
Lasting 33 moves, the game was settled in the middlegame. This is the phase where piece activity, pawn breaks and king safety all collide, and replaying it slowly is a good way to train your own middlegame judgement.
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, the game was drawn between Topalov, V and Nakamura, Hi. 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?
The game was drawn between Topalov, V and Nakamura, Hi.
How long was the game?
The game lasted 33 moves (65 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.