Game summary
Hikaru Nakamura beat Veselin Topalov in 38 moves in round 4 of Champions Showdown G5 in Saint Louis, USA, on 12 November 2017. The opening was the King's Indian Attack (A07).
- White
- Hikaru Nakamura
- Black
- Veselin Topalov
- Result
- White won (1-0)
- Place
- Saint Louis, USA
- Date
- 12 November 2017 (2017.11.12)
- Round
- 4.1
- Opening
- King's Indian Attack (A07)
- Length
- 38 moves (75 plies)
All moves of Nakamura, Hi vs Topalov, V (PGN move text)
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.b3 Bg7 5.Bb2 O-O 6.O-O c6 7.d3 Bg4 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Nxf3 Re8 11.d4 a5 12.a4 Ne4 13.e3 e6 14.c4 Ndc5 15.Ne5 Na6 16.Nd3 Nd6 17.Qc2 Rc8 18.c5 Ne4 19.Kh2 Qc7 20.Rac1 h5 21.Bxe4 dxe4 22.Ne5 f5 23.Nxg6 Kf7 24.Nf4 h4 25.Bc3 Rh8 26.f3 hxg3+ 27.Kg2 exf3+ 28.Rxf3 Qd7 29.e4 Nb4 30.Qe2 Bh6 31.Rcf1 Rce8 32.Bxb4 axb4 33.exf5 exf5 34.Qc4+ Kf6 35.Nh5+ Kg6 36.Rxf5 Bg5 37.Nxg3 Re3 38.d5 1-0
About This Game
Nakamura, Hi and Topalov, V met over the board in this middlegame battle at Champions Showdown G5 in Saint Louis USA in 2017. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.
Play followed King's Indian Attack (A07) — 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.
Lasting 38 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.
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.
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.
When the dust settled, Nakamura, Hi 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 Nakamura, Hi (White) and Topalov, V (Black), at Champions Showdown G5 in 2017.
What opening was played?
The game used King's Indian Attack (ECO code A07). 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 38 moves (75 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 King's Indian Attack collection, Nakamura, Hi's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.