Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
A French grandmaster known to fans as MVL. Vachier-Lagrave became a grandmaster at 14 and reached a peak of 2819 in 2016, the seventh-highest rating in history.
He won the World Junior Championship in 2009, three French titles, and the Biel Grandmaster Tournament five times. He added the Sinquefield Cup in 2017 and 2021, and finished second at the 2020–21 Candidates.
He is a former World Blitz Champion and plays for the French esports team Vitality. In 2026 he was edged out on tiebreaks by Vincent Keymer at the Grenke Freestyle Open.
Career highlights
- Former World Blitz Champion
- Second at the 2020–21 Candidates
- Sinquefield Cup winner in 2017 and 2021
- Five-time Biel winner
- Peak rating 2819, seventh-highest ever
Titles
- Sinquefield Cup: 2017, 2021
- Biel Chess Festival: 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
From the winners lists on our event pages.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in The Chess Herald
- Viernheim Lead Baden-Baden on Board Points After Three Bundesliga Rounds
- Total Chess Fills Its 24-Player Field With Six More Signings
- GCL's Lead Swings Back to the Gambits on Day 5
- Carlsen Returns, But GCL Day One Belongs to Sindarov
- Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi Meet Again, but This Time Board Six Matters More Than They Do
FIDE profile · Wikipedia
Profile last reviewed September 29, 2026. Ratings update monthly from FIDE.