Magnus Carlsen vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Global Chess League 2023

Grünfeld Defense (D80) · ½-½ (Draw) · 44 moves · Round 9.1 · 1 July 2023

♔
White
Magnus Carlsen
½ – ½
Black
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
♚
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Moves
0 / 88

About This Game

Game summary

  • WhiteMagnus Carlsen
  • BlackMaxime Vachier-Lagrave
  • Result½-½ · Draw
  • EventGlobal Chess League 2023
  • Round9.1
  • Date1 July 2023
  • OpeningGrünfeld Defense (D80)
  • Length44 moves
  • Type of eventRapid

This is game 163 of 208 between Magnus Carlsen and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the Rama Chess database (2005–2025). In all their games Carlsen leads 78–44 with 86 draws.

Previous game: Vachier-Lagrave vs Carlsen, 1-0 (Global Chess League 2023, 2023).

Next game: Carlsen vs Vachier-Lagrave, 0-1 (Titled Tue 25th Jul Late, 2023).

Carlsen vs Vachier-Lagrave: all 208 gamesCarlsen in the Grünfeld DefenseCarlsen games of 2023Maxime Vachier-Lagrave profile

The moves of Magnus Carlsen vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Global Chess League 2023

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bd2 Bg7 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.Bxc3 O-O 8.Qd2 c5 9.d5 e6 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.Bc4 exd5 12.Bxd5 Nc6 13.Ne2 Nb4 14.Nc3 Qf6 15.O-O Rd8 16.Rad1 Be6 17.Qe2 Nxd5 18.exd5 Bf5 19.Rfe1 h5 20.h3 Rd7 21.a4 b6 22.Qe3 Rad8 23.Re2 g5 24.Rde1 Bg6 25.Qc1 Qf4 26.Re3 h4 27.Qd1 a6 28.Qe2 c4 29.Re8 Bf5 30.Rxd8 Rxd8 31.Rd1 b5 32.axb5 axb5 33.Qe7 Rd6 34.Ne2 Qe4 35.Qxd6 Qxe2 36.Ra1 Qxb2 37.Re1 Qd4 38.Qe7 c3 39.d6 Kg6 40.Qf8 c2 41.Qg8+ Qg7 42.Qe8 Qc3 43.Qg8+ Kh6 44.Qf8+ Kg6 1/2-1/2

A full-length game in which Magnus Carlsen was paired against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave at Global Chess League 2023 in 2023. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.

The game opened with Grünfeld Defense (D80), a fight over the centre. Here the struggle often turns on the central pawns and minor-piece play.

Running to 44 moves, the game moved through a full middlegame into an endgame, showing how an advantage is carried between phases.

Magnus Carlsen is one of the grandmasters featured in the RamaChess archive, where you can browse their complete game collection, favourite openings and notable wins.

Working through a full game like this trains pattern recognition — the more you study, the faster you spot familiar ideas in your own play.

In the end, the game was drawn between Magnus Carlsen and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Use the board above to replay every move, switch to the analyser for engine evaluation, or open Practice mode to test your own ideas.

Frequently asked questions

What is the head-to-head record of Magnus Carlsen and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave?

In the 208 games between them in our database (2005 to 2025) Carlsen leads 78–44 with 86 draws. This game is number 163 of 208.

Where and when was Magnus Carlsen vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave played?

At the Global Chess League 2023, round 9.1, on 1 July 2023.

Who played this game?

This game was played between Magnus Carlsen (White) and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Black), at Global Chess League 2023 in 2023.

What opening was played?

The game used Grünfeld Defense (ECO code D80). A fight over the centre.

What was the result?

The game was drawn between Magnus Carlsen and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

How long was the game?

The game lasted 44 moves (88 plies).

Can I replay this game move by move?

Yes. Use the interactive board on this page to step through every move, or open the analyser and Practice mode.

Where can I find more games like this?

Browse the full Grünfeld Defense collection, Magnus Carlsen's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.

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