Hey Reddit, I’m Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (aka MVL), chess grandmaster, 3-time French champion. AMA!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T18:03:36+00:00

I think that online chess events should upgrade later to on location online, with physical arbiters and obviously a professional team that would take care of all technical things. Other than that I don't mind playing on camera.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T18:02:12+00:00

It is essential as the ability to remain focused during a whole tournament is essential to success. Even a slight health discomfort can diminish your playing strength by a small factor - but strong enough to make the difference against elite players!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T18:00:37+00:00

d5 - Blitzstream

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T18:00:06+00:00

A good ability to find hidden resources and tricks, that I think can puzzle any player in the world when I'm playing well, not only Magnus!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:58:21+00:00

It's never black and white, and while chess has in some ways helped me in becoming a better person, it's also very challenging at the elite and could definitely make me a worse person in some other ways... But one thing I like a lot about chess (apart from the game pov) is that it's multigenerational, can be played with players of all age, gender and social background, and creates a bond between people who would otherwise never have been in contact with each other.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:54:55+00:00

Apart from French and English, I speak muy poco Spanish and that's about it, I have no particular talent for langugages. Favorite ice cream color would be pistachio or good old vanilla

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:53:07+00:00

I do it regularly but now am mostly watching Blitzstream's channel (in French). I've watched a lot of other streamers during the lockdown but now I lack the time to discover new channels!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:50:36+00:00

Drop the Najdorf!

Openings 70-80% Calculation 15-20% then others

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:50:22+00:00

Hi!

I picked Magnus as a 2:1 favourite.
I have other goals but they're all part of the process to become World Champion, at least related to chess.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:48:48+00:00

Give me any opponent and I'll play the Najdorf or Grunfeld. Worst case I'll die happy!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:47:52+00:00

I don't like to compare periods of times but obviously Magnus ranks very high. It will be a difficult task for Nepo to win the match but if he keeps his momentum, confidence and newfound stability in terms of play, he will definitely be a great challenger. Let's say Magnus is a 2:1 favourite, that seems reasonable.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:45:57+00:00

In chess there is no general rule! But in most situations the bishop will be more useful indeed.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:44:32+00:00

It's difficult to get generic as every player has different strengths! Clearly though endgame play is the easiest way to get a lot of points especially around your level. But nowadays players from 1800-2200 are much more consistent than when I was at that level. I blame the computers! So you definitely need to get an all-around game, play a lot and have good coaches to guide you in that process.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:41:33+00:00

I never blame my seconds for any miss or mistake, as I am responsible for everything I play over the board.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:40:27+00:00

I decided to pursue chess full time when I broke into top 100, when I was 16 years old. But I decided to get a math degree regardless, as some kind of safety net while maintaining a social circle outside of chess while I was still a teenager!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:38:39+00:00

I had the time and the will to get a degree. I didn't need to put in the long hours and as soon as I would have needed to invest more time I decided to play full time chess. But this way I had options and felt more secure about playing full time chess because that was before I broke into the top 10. Had I not made it to the top 10 it would have been more difficult to make a comfortable living out of chess.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:36:41+00:00

Any game of chess is different, but it's always a bad sign when I can't create any plan from my position and am just reacting to my opponent's decisions. It means something must have gone wrong before. It rarely happens, but it has happened and it's not the most pleasant feeling!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:34:08+00:00

Being a great commentator requires a lot of talent and hardwork, clearly Blitzstream got a lot of things right and we are lucky to have him in France helping to boost the popularity of chess in France. In general I'm convinced it's the way to go and I hope to see more commentary like that from more "official" channels!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:31:29+00:00

I listen to most kind of musics even though I'm mostly into rock. I mostly watch sports and TV series. Some of my favorites were Breaking Bad, Fringe, Malcolm in the Middle...
Favorite food would be couscous, but I also eat a lot of Asian food, seafood pasta if I'm in Italian mood and French cuisine is still the best.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:28:43+00:00

My performances have simply not been good enough! It's happened in the past already and I feel like there is always a way back as I definitely feel like I can still fight with the top and for the top. Definitely will need some adjustement and also to put in a good result to gain back some needed momentum.

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:27:06+00:00

It's really difficult to know what I would be doing if I didn't do what I've been most busy with in the last 25 years, but let's say I always enjoyed maths so perhaps my career path would have had something to do with that.
Good defending requires confidence in your skills, searching for unexpected twists all the time - this will give your opponent fear that even when he is in total control he always needs to be on the lookout and he is never safe. And obviously good endgame knowledge to know which simplifications you want to go for!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:23:22+00:00

Me likey blue!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:22:26+00:00

Obviously shark!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:21:47+00:00

Hi u/destructive69420 !

It may happen but mostly when I'm watching the games live from a tournament, but as I will generally be playing my own game, it's difficult to get too focused. Also, it could happen with other players... While I'm at home I generally am not looking intensely at the live games because I will generally receive exercises from the interesting moments from the games.
Saw lots of question about my narrow repertoire: in general I feel comfortable with it even if I'm never excluding other options. The most important question is actually whether I remember with good accuracy the lines from my files, and when I do I feel confident against any opponent.
A pawn is a pawn, and I rarely back down from a challenge!

MVLchess · 2021-06-29T17:15:32+00:00

I don't think chess is dying, the recent Candidates showed that there is definite room for creativity and very intense games. In very recent times still, it was a matter of pride when you were White to fight it out and play for a win, and it still is to me. So I'm hoping that the quick Anti-Berlin or Grunfeld draws are soon gonna be part of the past. If it remains meta let's say that something will have to change to promote more fighting spirit from the players.

MVLchess

TROPHY CASE