Game summary
Veselin Topalov and Hikaru Nakamura drew in 44 moves in round 5 of Champions Showdown G5 in Saint Louis, USA, on 12 November 2017. The opening was the Slav Defense (D11).
- White
- Veselin Topalov
- Black
- Hikaru Nakamura
- Result
- Draw (½-½)
- Place
- Saint Louis, USA
- Date
- 12 November 2017 (2017.11.12)
- Round
- 5.1
- Opening
- Slav Defense (D11)
- Length
- 44 moves (88 plies)
All moves of Topalov, V vs Nakamura, Hi (PGN move text)
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 c6 3.c4 e6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Bd3 g6 6.b3 Bg7 7.Ba3 Qa5+ 8.Qd2 Qxd2+ 9.Nbxd2 Bf8 10.Bxf8 Kxf8 11.Ke2 Nbd7 12.Rhc1 Kg7 13.b4 b6 14.c5 Bb7 15.a4 Rhb8 16.Nb3 bxc5 17.Nxc5 Nxc5 18.Rxc5 Nd7 19.Ra5 Bc8 20.Rb1 Kf6 21.g4 h6 22.h4 Ke7 23.g5 hxg5 24.hxg5 Rb6 25.Kd2 Kd6 26.e4 e5 27.exd5 cxd5 28.dxe5+ Nxe5 29.Nxe5 Kxe5 30.Rc5 Kd6 31.Kc3 Rab8 32.f4 Bd7 33.Ra5 d4+ 34.Kc4 Be6+ 35.Kxd4 Rxb4+ 36.Rxb4 Rxb4+ 37.Ke3 Rb7 38.Kd4 Rb4+ 39.Ke3 Rb7 40.Kd4 Ke7 41.Be4 Rb4+ 42.Ke5 Bd7 43.Rxa7 Rxa4 44.Rxa4 Bxa4 1/2-1/2
About This Game
In this encounter Topalov, V had the white pieces against Nakamura, Hi at Champions Showdown G5 in Saint Louis USA in 2017. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.
The game opened with Slav Defense (D11), a fight over the centre with long-term structural themes. Here the struggle frequently turns on the central pawns and the resulting minor-piece play.
Running to 44 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.
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, 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 G5 in 2017.
What opening was played?
The game used Slav Defense (ECO code D11). A fight over the centre with long-term structural themes.
What was the result?
The game was drawn between Topalov, V and Nakamura, Hi.
How long was the game?
The game lasted 44 moves (88 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 Slav Defense collection, Topalov, V's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.