How Much Bigger Is the Getting a Spot in the Candidates?

GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave is a 3 time champion of France, 2 time Sinquefield Cup winner, and perennial top 10 player in the world. Maxime joined me from his home in Paris while on a brief break from a hectic tournament schedule. In addition to some events in St. Louis, Maxime recently played in FIDE World Cup in Russia, and won the Zagreb Grand Chess Tour event in July. Maxime was very candid in our conversation as he discussed his recent successes, his 2nd place finish in the 2020-2021 Candidates Tournament, his thoughts on the World Championship match, and his opinions on the formats and qualification criteria of various important tournaments. It was amazing to hear the honest reflections of a chess player who is amongst the best in the world and still working to get even better! Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links. 

0:00- We begin by discussing Maxime’s recent travels and chess events.

Mentioned: MVL interview with Agadmator, FIDE Candidates, FIDE World Cup, FIDE Grand Swiss in Riga

11:00- Does Maxime feel that his OTB game has been progressing? Which upcoming tournaments are his biggest priorities?

Mentioned: GM Ian Nepomniatchi, GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, GM Sergei Karjakin, GM Teimour Radjabov, 2022 FIDE Grand Prix

20:30- Patreon mailbag question: How does Maxime feel about the current rules for qualifying for the FIDE Candidates tournament and the formats for FIDE’s other major events.

27:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com 

Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

27:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site,

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31:30- Maxime has several GMs on his team, as well as a performance coach. What do they work on? How did he feel that GM Ian Nepomniachtchi handled his nerves in the Candidates?

Mentioned: MVL In Conversation with GM Surya Ganguly  

37:30- What are Maxime’s thoughts on the upcoming World Championship match?

41:30- How much does Maxime discuss match preparation strategy with other elite players?

42:00 Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out whats new from them

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47:00 Patreon mailbag question: What is Maxime’s training regimen?

Mentioned: Maxime’s blog post and video is here.

49:00- Patreon mailbag questions: How does MVL’s prep regime change for an open tournament as

compared to a closed? Has his prep routine changed as he has gotten stronger?

Mentioned: GM Etienne Bacrot

58:00- Is Maxime in favor of OTB playoff matches for the FIDE Candidates and FIDE Grand Swiss?

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade

1:02:00- Has Queen’s Gambit changed chess at the elite level?

GM Anish Giri interview with IM Levy Rozman, Twitch Streamer, NM Kevin Bordi aka Blitzstream

1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: why did Maxime decide to pursue a degree in Mathematics?

1:15:00- Is MVL inspired by the longevity of his favorite tennis player, Roger Federer

1:17:00- What are Maxime’s thoughts on GM Alireza Firouzja joining the French team?

1:19:00- Maxime is famous for his devotion to the Najdorf and the Grunfeld defenses. Is it a

philosophical or practical choice to frequently play those openings?

Mentioned: GM Wesley So

1:23:00- Thanks so much to Maxime for joining the show.

You can read his reflections on his blog here:        

https://www.mvlchess.com/en/#panel1

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