Game summary
Hikaru Nakamura beat Veselin Topalov with the black pieces in 53 moves in round 4 of 8th London Classic 2016 in London, England, on 12 December 2016. The opening was the Caro-Kann Defense (B12).
- White
- Veselin Topalov
- Black
- Hikaru Nakamura
- Result
- Black won (0-1)
- Place
- London, England
- Date
- 12 December 2016 (2016.12.12)
- Round
- 4.5
- Opening
- Caro-Kann Defense (B12)
- Length
- 53 moves (106 plies)
All moves of Topalov, V vs Nakamura, Hi (PGN move text)
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.dxc5 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.c3 e6 7.b4 a6 8.Nbd2 Nxe5 9.Qa4+ Nd7 10.Ne5 Nf6 11.c4 a5 12.Nb3 axb4 13.Qb5 Be7 14.c6 bxc6 15.Nxc6 Qc7 16.f3 Bf5 17.Nxe7 Rb8 18.Nxf5 Rxb5 19.Nxg7+ Ke7 20.cxb5 Nc5 21.Bb2 Nxb3 22.axb3 Qf4 23.Be2 Rc8 24.Rd1 Qg5 25.b6 Rc2 26.Bxf6+ Qxf6 27.Nh5 Qc3+ 28.Kf1 Qe3 29.Re1 Qxb6 30.Nf4 Qe3 31.g3 Qxb3 32.Kg2 Kf8 33.Kh3 Qb2 34.Rb1 Qf6 35.Rhe1 e5 36.Nxd5 Qe6+ 37.Kg2 Qxd5 38.Rxb4 Qd2 39.Rb8+ Kg7 40.Kf1 Qh6 41.Kg2 e4 42.Rb3 Qe6 43.Re3 exf3+ 44.Kxf3 Qh3 45.Rd1 Qh5+ 46.Kf2 Qxh2+ 47.Kf3 Rc6 48.Rd4 Rg6 49.g4 Rf6+ 50.Ke4 Qh1+ 51.Kd3 Qb1+ 52.Kd2 Qb2+ 53.Kd3 Rc6 0-1
About This Game
In this encounter Topalov, V had the white pieces against Nakamura, Hi at 8th London Classic 2016 in London ENG in 2016. 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, Nakamura, Hi won with the black 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 8th London Classic 2016 in 2016.
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?
Nakamura, Hi won with the black pieces.
How long was the game?
The game lasted 53 moves (106 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.