Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
Born on October 21, 1990, Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (MVL) learned chess at age six from his father. MVL earned his grandmaster title at 14 years and 4 months old. He was the 2009 World Junior Champion.
MVL has won three French Championships and represented France in the Olympiad seven times. When the 2020 Candidates Tournament was postponed, MVL was in first place, tied with Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi, on 4½/7 (2 wins, 5 draws, and 0 losses). His website covers the Candidates in March 2020 and his return to over-the-board chess in September 2020.
The Classical French - Main Line
After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3, the author takes a detailed look at a daring line with 7... cxd4 8. Nd4 Qb6, as well as the quieter plans with 7...cxd4 8. Nd4 Bc5, and the main line with 7... a6 and b5.
MVL before his game against Ian Nepomniachtchi at the 2020 Candidates Tournament | Photo: Lennart Ootes / FIDE
Just as MVL learned chess from his father, National Master Mike Walder learned chess from his father, Stu Walder. Walder writes, “When I was five years old, I learned to play chess by watching my dad win game after game against my 12-year-old sister. Once I knew how the pieces moved, I challenged him to a game and lost quickly. When Stu retired, he thanked my mother for all the years she cooked for him, and said that it was his turn to cook. This couscous became one of their favorite hot-weather dinners.” MVL called one couscous dish a “treat” so couscous is presumably on his favorites list, along with “snails and frogs.”
Vachier-Lagrave posted this photo on his Instagram account in February 2019
Ingredients
Directions
MVL v Nepo after Black’s 28th move with Stu’s couscous on the side | Photo: Alexey Root
In round 7, the last round played before the Candidates Tournament was postponed, MVL defeated Nepomniachtchi. MVL analyzed the game on video, posted at FIDE’s YouTube channel. National Master Mike Walder annotates that win for this article.
Fascinated by the French Winawer
The Winawer Variation in just 60 minutes - that can only work by reducing it to a clear repertoire for Black and, where possible, general recommendations rather than variations. Alexei Shirov was surprised at how quickly he managed to make of the French Winawer an opening he himself could play. And now he will let you share in his conclusions.
