France’s men’s team hit the ground running in Samarkand, dismantling Tunisia 4-0 in Round 1 of the 46th Chess Olympiad. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, the team’s Board 1 anchor, sat out the session to recover from a grueling stint in India’s Global Chess League. It was a strategic rest for the 35-year-old, allowing the rest of the squad—Étienne Bacrot, Maxime Lagarde, Jules Moussard, and Marc'Andria Maurizzi—to carry the load under captain Sébastien Mazé.
But the real story wasn’t the win. It was what MVL said about the race for gold. Asked who he sees as the title contenders, the French grandmaster didn’t hedge. He listed four names without blinking: USA, India, China, and Uzbekistan. When asked if France belonged in that group, his answer was blunt. “We're nowhere near favourites,” he told TimesofIndia.com. “But we have a good solid team, and I think everyone's really motivated.”
That honesty is rare in a sport often clouded by diplomatic platitudes. MVL, who picked up chess at five and has professionalized it for three decades, speaks with a settled clarity. He admits to moments of doubt and the physical toll of the job—specifically, the fatigue he feels every morning in India regardless of sleep quality. Yet, he refuses to romanticize the grind. For him, it’s about managing the ups and downs of an improvement curve that is never a straight line.
His time in India recently wasn’t all board games. Playing for Mumba Masters in the GCL, where they finished fourth, he spent his downtime playing padel and variant sudoku with friends who shared his late-rising habits. Now back in Samarkand, he’ll sit on Board 1 for a team he openly admits isn’t the favorite. But based on his track record, he’ll play as if the title is already in reach.
The next round brings tougher competition, and MVL’s candid assessment sets the stage: only four teams are truly in the hunt for the trophy.