Maxime Vachier-Lagrave — known to just about everyone in chess as “MVL” — is the French grandmaster who has spent well over a decade as one of the strongest players in the world. He’s the 2021 World Blitz Champion, a former World Junior Champion, and one of the finest Sicilian Najdorf specialists the game has ever seen. At his peak he was rated 2819 (August 2016) and ranked world #2 — one of only a small group of players in history to cross the 2800 barrier. For most of the 2010s and into the 2020s he was France’s clear number one and a fixture near the very top of the game. (All current claims below are as of July 2026.)
Quick facts
- Full name: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave · Born: 21 October 1990, Nogent-sur-Marne, France
- Title: Grandmaster (earned in 2005, at age 14)
- Peak rating: 2819 (August 2016) — reaching world #2
- Career highlights: 2021 World Blitz Champion, 2009 World Junior Champion, 3× French Champion, 2× Sinquefield Cup winner, 2020–21 Candidates runner-up
- Style: sharp, deeply-prepared, tactical — the ultimate Najdorf specialist and a speed-chess monster
Who is Maxime Vachier-Lagrave?
Born in Nogent-sur-Marne, just east of Paris, in 1990, MVL was a chess prodigy who earned the grandmaster title in 2005 at age 14. He announced himself to the wider chess world by winning the World Junior Championship in 2009, and he backed that up with three French Championship titles (2007, 2011, and 2012). By his mid-twenties he had climbed into the very top tier of the game.
His signature stretch came in the mid-2010s. In August 2016 he peaked at 2819 and reached world #2, and around the same period he won the elite Biel Grandmaster Tournament an incredible five times (2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). He then took the 2017 Sinquefield Cup — one of the strongest events on the calendar — finishing half a point clear of a field that included Magnus Carlsen, who suffered his only loss of the tournament at MVL’s hands.
The crowning moment came in 2021: MVL won the World Blitz Championship in Warsaw, topping the field and then beating Jan-Krzysztof Duda in a playoff to take the world crown. That same year he won a second Sinquefield Cup. And he came agonizingly close to a shot at the classical World Championship in the 2020–21 Candidates Tournament, where he led at the halfway halt before finishing a heartbreaking second, just half a point behind the winner, Ian Nepomniachtchi.
What is MVL’s playing style?
MVL is a sharp, deeply-prepared, tactical player. He loves concrete, forcing positions where calculation and home preparation decide the game, and he’s built his career on knowing his key openings — above all the Najdorf — more deeply than almost anyone. He’s also one of the best fast-chess players on the planet: his blitz and rapid results are elite, and the 2021 World Blitz title is the proof.
We break this down with examples in MVL’s playing style.
What openings does Maxime Vachier-Lagrave play?
MVL’s repertoire is famously principled and razor-sharp. As Black against 1.e4, he’s the definitive Sicilian Najdorf specialist — he’s played it his whole career and helped shape modern theory in its sharpest lines. Against 1.d4, his weapon is the combative Grünfeld Defense. And with White he’s a committed 1.e4 player who heads for open, fighting positions.
See his full repertoire in MVL’s openings.
Career highlights
- 2005: earns the grandmaster title at age 14.
- 2007, 2011, 2012: wins the French Championship (three times).
- 2009: wins the World Junior Championship; also the first of five Biel tournament victories.
- 2016: peaks at 2819 and reaches world #2.
- 2017: wins the Sinquefield Cup, finishing clear of Magnus Carlsen.
- 2020–21: finishes second in the Candidates Tournament, half a point off a World Championship match.
- 2021: becomes World Blitz Champion in Warsaw and wins a second Sinquefield Cup.
The best games
MVL’s highlight reel is full of sharp, tactical chess — Najdorf masterclasses, a blitz world title sealed with a final-round win over Carlsen, and a heartbreakingly close Candidates run. We’ve collected the standouts in Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s best games.
Fun facts
- His nickname “MVL” — simply his initials — is so universal that many fans would struggle to name him any other way.
- He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, a background that fits his precise, calculating style at the board.
- He’s regarded as one of the world’s foremost living authorities on the Najdorf Sicilian, a single opening he’s championed for his entire career.
- He handed Magnus Carlsen his only loss at the 2017 Sinquefield Cup — and beat him again in the decisive final round of the 2021 World Blitz Championship.
FAQ
Who is Maxime Vachier-Lagrave? A French grandmaster, universally known as “MVL,” who has been one of the world’s top players for over a decade. He’s the 2021 World Blitz Champion, a former World Junior Champion, and one of the best Najdorf Sicilian specialists ever.
What is MVL’s highest rating? His peak classical FIDE rating was 2819, reached in August 2016, when he also climbed to world #2.
Has MVL ever been World Champion? He’s the 2021 World Blitz Champion. In classical chess he came very close to a title shot, finishing second in the 2020–21 Candidates Tournament, half a point behind the winner — but he has not played a classical World Championship match.
When did MVL become a grandmaster? In 2005, at the age of 14.
What openings does MVL play? As Black, the Sicilian Najdorf against 1.e4 and the Grünfeld Defense against 1.d4; as White, he’s a 1.e4 player.
Keep exploring
Dig deeper: his best games · his playing style · his opening repertoire · his rating history · fun facts & records · or browse all chess players.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team · Facts verified against Wikipedia, his FIDE profile, and Chess.com, as of July 2026 · Last verified 2026-07-10 · How we verify content.