Players
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Photo: Yunfan Zhao
GM

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

FranceBorn 1990 (age 36)FIDE ID 623539

Playing now: Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 2026

Luft classical

26002700280029002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2717
FIDE

FIDE classical

2200240026002800200020052010201520202025
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2707
Luft

Flair

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Lightning#4 at speed chess (blitz 2796, rapid 2707)
  • TitanLuft classical rating averaging 2800+ over the last 4 years
  • Serial WinnerWon 2+ elite events in the last 12 months
  • UnderdogRegularly beats players rated 50+ higher
  • Fortress25+ games in a row without a loss
  • Black BeltDoes better with black than with white
  • IronmanPlayed 50+ games over the last 12 months
  • RisingAged 18 or under, Luft rating up 40+ over the last 12 months
  • Endgame SpecialistEndgame 90+: converting, saving and not throwing endgames
  • TacticianTactics 90+: sharp, tactical games they made sharp
  • Hot StreakAt least 6 points from 7 straight games against strong opposition
  • SignatureSticks to one defence with black far more than most
  • ChameleonPlays a wide range of defences with black
  • WildcardBrilliant one event, off the next: hard to predict
  • ReliableConsistent across all top events
  • FighterRarely draws, and wins far more than they lose
  • AdaptableTactics and Positional both 90+
  • PositionalPositional 90+: slow, quiet games they steered
  • PodiumTop 3 in at least half of their elite events
  • Lightning

Trophy cabinet

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's classical titles

9 classical titles, 3 medals, newest first

  • World Cup 2025Won the final · Perf. 2711
  • Superbet Classic 20221st
  • European Team Championship 2021Silver, team · France
  • Norway Chess 20191st
  • Dortmund Sparkassen Meeting 20161st
  • Gibraltar Chess Festival 20161st
  • European Team Championship 2015Silver, board 1 · France
  • Norway Chess 20151st
  • European Team Championship 2013Silver, team · France
  • French Championship 20121st
  • French Championship 20111st
  • French Championship 20071st

Attributes

Tactics 87Positional 89Endgame 87Openings 84Composure 93Defence 84Speed 93Consistency 96

Luft classical rating

2717No. 20

From 32 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2738 level, with 1 win against the top 10.

ResultsPlayed at a 2738 level, blended with their FIDE rating+16
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−3
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event−4
Activity32 classical games in top events+1

Openings

Their most-played, from 134 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Ruy Lopez2761%
Sicilian Defense972%
Italian Game540%
French Defense475%
Caro-Kann Defense463%

Ruy Lopez

With White: 27 games, won 8, drew 17, lost 2 · 61%

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense1055%
Closed764%
Open580%
Berlin Defense450%
Marshall Attack150%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 9 games, won 4, drew 5, lost 0 · 72%

VariationGamesScore
Accelerated Dragon250%
Kan Variation1100%
Delayed Alapin Variation1100%
Moscow Variation1100%
Najdorf Variation1100%
Modern Variations150%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack150%
Four Knights Variation150%

Italian Game

With White: 5 games, won 0, drew 4, lost 1 · 40%

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation250%
Giuoco Pianissimo250%
Two Knights Defense10%

French Defense

With White: 4 games, won 2, drew 2, lost 0 · 75%

VariationGamesScore
Steinitz Variation275%
Chigorin Variation1100%
Advance Variation150%

Caro-Kann Defense

With White: 4 games, won 2, drew 1, lost 1 · 63%

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation367%
Two Knights Attack150%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 26 games, won 3, drew 22, lost 1 · 54%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation750%
Moscow Variation550%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation383%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack350%
Four Knights Variation250%
French Variation225%
Smith-Morra Gambit1100%
Closed150%
Kan Variation150%
Modern Variations150%

Grünfeld Defense

With Black: 12 games, won 1, drew 10, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation856%
Three Knights Variation333%
Russian Variation150%

English Opening

With Black: 7 games, won 0, drew 6, lost 1 · 43%

VariationGamesScore
King's English Variation333%
Symmetrical Variation250%
Anglo-Indian Defense150%
Adorjan Defense150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 5 games, won 0, drew 5, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation250%
Tartakower Defense150%
Main line150%
Queen's Knight Variation150%

Queen's Gambit Accepted

With Black: 3 games, won 1, drew 2, lost 0 · 67%

VariationGamesScore
Classical Defense250%
Main line1100%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 202612 Nov 20263/4+6+7
German Bundesliga 2026/2711 Oct 20261/3−10−10
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202627 Sep 20266/10−1−3
GCT: Sinquefield Cup 202619 Aug 2026=5th+5+8
German Bundesliga 2025/2622 Mar 20263/6−6−7

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMGukesh D.10 May 2025 · GCT: 20252787
GMW. So12 Nov 2026 · Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 20262771
GMJ. Duda16 May 2025 · GCT: 20252739
GMM. Tabatabaei24 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20262737
GMP. Maghsoodloo5 Nov 2024 · Chennai Grandmasters 20242712

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMF. CaruanaLast 19 Aug 2026 · GCT: Sinquefield Cup 20267070
GMPraggnanandhaa R.Last 18 Aug 2026 · GCT: Sinquefield Cup 20266051
GMW. SoLast 12 Nov 2026 · Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 20266240
GMJ. SindarovLast 12 Aug 2026 · GCT: Sinquefield Cup 20264022
GMN. AbdusattorovLast 24 Aug 2025 · GCT: Sinquefield Cup 20254040

Compare Luft

GMMaxime Vachier-LagraveFrance

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How attributes are calculated

From their games in top events over the last 12 months, each judged against the opponent's rating

  • TacticsHow well they score in sharp games they chose to make sharp.
  • PositionalHow well they score in quiet, manoeuvring games they steered.
  • EndgameHow they do in endgames against what the position promised when it began: converting a winning one earns a little, saving a losing one earns a lot, and throwing a winning one costs a lot.
  • OpeningsThe engine's verdict on their position around moves 15 to 20, against what's normal for that colour, as the score it points to. Over the last 4 years, with older games counting less.
  • ComposureHow well they score under pressure: the game straight after a loss, and the last 3 games of an event while they can still win it. Over the last 4 years.
  • DefenceHow they do in games where they were 0.8 pawns or more worse after move 18, against what that position usually scores: holding the draw earns, turning it around earns more, and losing costs a little.
  • SpeedTheir Luft rapid and blitz ratings. With neither, an estimate a little below their classical level.
  • ConsistencyTheir Luft rating, less their off days: tournaments (5+ games each) over the last 4 years where they played 50+ below it. Anything better never counts against them.

  • "How well they score" is a performance rating: the opponent's rating, plus 400 for a win and minus 400 for a loss, averaged. So it's always judged against who they played.

    The score out of 100: 80 is a 2600 level, and each 13 rating points adds one, so 2860 and up is 100.

    Fair to everyone: with only a few games of a kind, the result leans towards their overall Luft rating. Strengths and weaknesses are measured against their overall level and compared with the top 100, so a specialist's best side stands out. A little recent form is added to all but Speed.