Team Vitality has announced chess Grandmaster Maxime ‘MVL’ Vachier-Lagrave as its new professional chess player.
MVL will represent the French esports organisation internationally and participate in community activations, bridging the esports and chess communities.
French chess player MVL is a notable figure in the global chess scene, having achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 14. Throughout most of his career, he has been ranked among the top 10 players in the world by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Currently, he is ranked World#7 in Rapid chess.
MVL’s numerous chess achievements include five Biel Grandmaster Tournament wins and two Sinquefield Cup victories. He also won the World Blitz Championship in 2021.
The first event of the 2025 Champions Chess Tour, called the Chessable Masters, will be MVL’s first competition as an official Team Vitality player.
In December 2024, the Esports World Club (EWC) revealed the inclusion of chess during its 2025 edition alongside the appointment of Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen as an ambassador. EWC is an esports festival backed by the Saudi Arabian government. The event awards organisations with points across multiple esports titles to determine the most winning team.
With several Vitality rosters — including CS2 and Rocket League — competing at the EWC, MVL hopes to contribute to his new organisation’s EWC score in the Rapid Chess category.
MVL said in a press release: “I’m absolutely thrilled to join Team Vitality for this new adventure in the world of esports! Competing for Team Vitality this year is an exciting challenge, and the two qualifying tournaments will be key milestones in my 2025 season for qualifying in the EWC.
“Seeing chess take its place alongside some of the biggest games in esports is incredible—it’s a fantastic opportunity to grow the game and inspire the next generation of players.”
MVL is not the only addition to Vitality as of late. Last month, Counter-Strike analyst Jacob ‘Pimp’ Winneche, as well as professional VALORANT player Ardis ‘Ardiis’ Svarenieks, joined the organisation.
