Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is a French grandmaster, born in Nogent-sur-Marne in 1990. He competed in youth tournaments from the age of six and won several French age-group championships. He was awarded the grandmaster title in 2005, at the age of 14, and holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics. His peak rating of 2819 was reached in August 2016.

Vachier-Lagrave won the World Junior Championship in 2009 and the World Blitz Championship in 2021. He is a three-time French Champion and won the Biel Grandmaster Tournament five times, including four years in a row from 2013 to 2016. He won the Sinquefield Cup in 2017 and 2021, and finished second at the 2020–21 Candidates Tournament.