Clash of Generations: Vachier-Lagrave v. Erdogmus in Monte Carlo

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
12/2/2025 – A six-game classical match in Monte Carlo will see Maxime Vachier-Lagrave face 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus from 3 to 8 December, in an event organised by the Monaco Chess Federation with support from Evren Ucok. The encounter brings together an established top-20 grandmaster and Türkiye's leading junior. The format mirrors the match Erdogmus played against Peter Svidler in Marseille earlier this year, where he impressed in the classical section. | Photos: Official website
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Clash des Générations II

The Monte Carlo Chess Club will host a second edition of the "Clash des Générations" from 3 to 8 December, as Maxime Vachier-Lagrave takes on Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus in a six-game classical match. Organised by the Monaco Chess Federation, in partnership with the Cercle d'Échecs de Monte-Carlo and supported by Evren Ucok, the encounter brings together one of France's most experienced elite players and one of the world's most promising juniors.

Vachier-Lagrave, aged 34, is currently world number 15 and, with a peak rating of 2819, he is the seventh-highest rated player in history. MVL has been a fixture in top-level chess for over a decade, known for his theoretical depth and consistent results across classical, rapid and blitz formats. Erdogmus, aged 14, arrives as the world's top U18 player and Türkiye's number one. Despite his young age, he has accumulated notable achievements and has shown a mature style that has attracted considerable attention.

The match will consist of six classical games played at a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one. In the event of a 3–3 tie, an Armageddon game will be used to determine the winner of the trophy.

Erdogmus is not new to this format. Earlier this year, he took part in the inaugural "Clash of Generations" in Marseille, where he faced 49-year-old Peter Svidler. The classical portion followed the same six-game arrangement and saw the Turkish youngster score a 4–2 victory, winning games four and six after an initially balanced start. Svidler, however, dominated the subsequent 12-game blitz section, played at a 3+2 time control, taking the mini-match 10–2.

Monte Carlo now provides Erdogmus with a fresh test against a long-established top-20 grandmaster. For Vachier-Lagrave, the match offers an opportunity to assert his classical strength against an ambitious opponent whose rapid rise has already produced notable upsets in elite settings.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus

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Topics: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Yagiz Erdogmus
Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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