Prepare against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
GM · France · World #24 classical · FIDE ID 623539
When preparing against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, expect 1.e4 in 72% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (82% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (87%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening as Black, 25.1% over 171 games.
Our database contains 6,191 games by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before a game. You can open the same data in the free interactive preparation workstation, which builds a move-by-move opening tree from every game.
Ratings
| Time control | Current | Peak | Peak date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 2,718 | 2,819 | Aug 2016 |
| Rapid | 2,706 | 2,873 | Dec 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,734 | 2,948 | Jul 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 6,191 | 2,721 | 2,391 | 1,076 | 44.0% |
| As White | 3,137 | 1,537 | 1,156 | 442 | 49.0% |
| As Black | 3,054 | 1,184 | 1,235 | 634 | 38.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's side.
First moves as White (3,132 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 2,251 | 71.9% | 66.9% |
| d4 | 346 | 11.0% | 65.8% |
| Nf3 | 237 | 7.6% | 69.2% |
| c4 | 233 | 7.4% | 71.5% |
| g3 | 25 | 0.8% | 84.0% |
| b3 | 22 | 0.7% | 61.4% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 72% of White games, 66.9% score
- …e5 (47% of these games) — Vachier-Lagrave usually continues Nf3 (62.9% score)
- …c5 (28% of these games) — Vachier-Lagrave usually continues Nf3 (68.7% score)
- …e6 (9% of these games) — Vachier-Lagrave usually continues d4 (73.1% score)
- 1.d4 — 11% of White games, 65.8% score
- …Nf6 (68% of these games) — Vachier-Lagrave usually continues c4 (59.9% score)
- …d5 (26% of these games) — Vachier-Lagrave usually continues c4 (67.3% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Vachier-Lagrave usually continues Nf3 (70.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (1,276 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 1,043 | 81.7% | 61.2% |
| c6 | 105 | 8.2% | 65.7% |
| e5 | 78 | 6.1% | 60.9% |
| e6 | 24 | 1.9% | 68.8% |
| d6 | 12 | 0.9% | 83.3% |
| g6 | 6 | 0.5% | 41.7% |
As Black against 1.d4 (1,061 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 927 | 87.4% | 58.3% |
| d5 | 101 | 9.5% | 55.9% |
| d6 | 10 | 0.9% | 80.0% |
| e6 | 7 | 0.7% | 42.9% |
| f5 | 5 | 0.5% | 60.0% |
| g6 | 5 | 0.5% | 60.0% |
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's chess games
All 6,191 games by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Sep 2026) are free to browse, search and replay: filter by opening, opponent, event or date on the player page, or step through any game on the analysis board. Record: 2,721 wins, 2,391 draws, 1,076 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 263 | 83/156/24 | 31.6% |
| B22 | Sicilian | 234 | 131/63/40 | 56.0% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 192 | 72/94/26 | 37.5% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 129 | 48/68/13 | 37.2% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 122 | 73/33/16 | 59.8% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 120 | 67/37/16 | 55.8% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 118 | 43/58/17 | 36.4% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 111 | 58/38/15 | 52.3% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 88 | 44/33/11 | 50.0% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 84 | 46/25/13 | 54.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 407 | 154/172/81 | 37.8% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 309 | 86/167/56 | 27.8% |
| D85 | Indian Defense | 247 | 89/118/40 | 36.0% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 209 | 91/73/45 | 43.5% |
| A33 | English Opening | 171 | 43/87/41 | 25.1% |
| B52 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 146 | 59/67/20 | 40.4% |
| D79 | King's Indian Defense | 126 | 44/55/27 | 34.9% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 110 | 29/60/21 | 26.4% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 108 | 44/45/19 | 40.7% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 91 | 27/39/25 | 29.7% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2015 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,876 | 3rd Norway Masters Blitz | A05 |
| Oct 2014 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,844 | Tashkent FIDE GP | B90 |
| Aug 2015 | Veselin Topalov | 2,816 | Sinquefield Cup 3rd | C67 |
| Nov 2018 | Liren Ding | 2,816 | Shenzhen Du Te Cup 2nd | C54 |
| Jul 2021 | Garry Kasparov | 2,812 | Zagreb GCT Blitz | B40 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,070 | 828 | 2,717 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2025 | 141 | 82.5 | 2,747 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 125 | 82.5 | 2,787 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 112 | 68.5 | 2,725 |
| Saint Louis Blitz | 2025 | 108 | 58.5 | 2,791 |
| Speed Chess | 2022 | 97 | 49 | 2,805 |
| PRO League Stage | 2020 | 93 | 72 | 2,745 |
| Chess.com Speed | 2020 | 89 | 45.5 | 2,757 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Hikaru Nakamura (247 games) · Wesley So (206 games) · Magnus Carlsen (205 games) · Fabiano Caruana (186 games) · Levon Aronian (185 games) · Ian Nepomniachtchi (125 games) · Anish Giri (115 games) · Alexander Grischuk (102 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 6,191 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's chess games?
6,191 games by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, from Apr 2003 to Sep 2026, are free to browse and replay move by move — no signup needed. The preparation view groups them into an opening tree showing every line Maxime Vachier-Lagrave has played.
What does Maxime Vachier-Lagrave play on the first move as White?
Across 3,132 games with White in our database, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave opens with 1.e4 (72% of games), 1.d4 (11% of games), 1.Nf3 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave answers 1...c5 (82% of games), 1...c6 (8% of games), 1...e5 (6% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (87% of games), 1...d5 (10% of games), 1...d6 (1% of games).
What openings does Maxime Vachier-Lagrave play as White?
As White, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's most-played openings in our database are: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (263 games, 31.6% win rate); Sicilian (234 games, 56.0% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (192 games, 37.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 3,137 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Maxime Vachier-Lagrave play as Black?
As Black, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (407 games, 37.8% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (309 games, 27.8% win rate); Indian Defense (247 games, 36.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 3,054 games.
What is Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's FIDE rating?
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is currently rated 2,718 in classical chess, 2,706 in rapid and 2,734 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,819 (Aug 2016).
How many games has Maxime Vachier-Lagrave played?
Our database contains 6,191 games by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 2,721 wins, 2,391 draws, 1,076 losses (44.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave?
6,191 games by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave reveal their opening repertoire, most-played lines, and the variations where they score worst — the raw material for targeted preparation. The interactive opening tree lets you walk every line to any depth.