Game summary
Hikaru Nakamura beat Veselin Topalov in 43 moves in round 2 of Champions Showdown G5 in Saint Louis, USA, on 12 November 2017. The opening was the Nimzo-Larsen Attack (A01).
- White
- Hikaru Nakamura
- Black
- Veselin Topalov
- Result
- White won (1-0)
- Place
- Saint Louis, USA
- Date
- 12 November 2017 (2017.11.12)
- Round
- 2.1
- Opening
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack (A01)
- Length
- 43 moves (85 plies)
All moves of Nakamura, Hi vs Topalov, V (PGN move text)
1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.Nf3 e6 4.e3 Be7 5.c4 O-O 6.Nc3 b6 7.cxd5 exd5 8.d4 Bb7 9.Bd3 a6 10.O-O Nbd7 11.Ne5 Bd6 12.Ne2 Re8 13.f4 Ne4 14.Ng3 Nf8 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Bc4 Re7 17.Qh5 g6 18.Qh6 Bxe5 19.dxe5 b5 20.Rad1 Qe8 21.f5 bxc4 22.f6 Ne6 23.Rf4 Qf8 24.Qxf8+ Kxf8 25.fxe7+ Kxe7 26.Ba3+ c5 27.Rf2 cxb3 28.Rfd2 Bc6 29.axb3 Rb8 30.Rc2 Rxb3 31.Bxc5+ Nxc5 32.Rxc5 Bb5 33.Rd6 Rxe3 34.Rc7+ Kf8 35.e6 Rd3 36.Rxf7+ Ke8 37.Rb6 Rd1+ 38.Kf2 Rf1+ 39.Ke3 Rxf7 40.exf7+ Kxf7 41.Kxe4 Kg7 42.Ke5 g5 43.Kf5 1-0
About This Game
In this encounter Nakamura, Hi had the white pieces against Topalov, V at Champions Showdown G5 in Saint Louis USA in 2017. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.
Play followed Nimzo-Larsen Attack (A01) — a flexible, manoeuvring struggle where both sides delay direct contact. Openings in this ECO group reward patient build-up and a good feel for pawn structure.
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.
Nakamura, Hi 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.
Games such as this one are useful at every level. Beginners can follow the opening principles, club players can study the middlegame plans, and stronger players can examine the finer endgame and decision-making points.
When the dust settled, Nakamura, Hi won with the white pieces. Replay the full game move by move above, analyse it with the engine to find the turning points, and use Practice mode to play out the critical positions yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Who played this game?
This game was played between Nakamura, Hi (White) and Topalov, V (Black), at Champions Showdown G5 in 2017.
What opening was played?
The game used Nimzo-Larsen Attack (ECO code A01). A flexible, manoeuvring struggle where both sides delay direct contact.
What was the result?
Nakamura, Hi 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 Nimzo-Larsen Attack collection, Nakamura, Hi's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.