30.Qc6! e3 31.Bf3 Nxf2+ 32.Rxf2 exf2 33.Kg2 Bg3 34.Qc1 Bh3+ 35.Kg3 f1=Q 36.Qxc7+ draws the game.

click for larger view

<syracrophy: After a mate like this, I could retire from chess satisfied and very happy >

Interviewer: "<We have to ask about the brilliant win against GM Fontaine at the French Championship. Game was published the same day on Chessdom and it also achieved cult status on other forums. How deep was your calculation? Did you really foresee 30...e3 and beautiful mate after the Queen sacrifice?>"

Maxime Vachier Lagrave: "<This game was very important, as I really had to play for a win to try to catch Vladislav Tkachiev, and so I took many risks from the beginning. At some points, my calculation was fairly deep, but in fact there was no real point to calculate so much further in such a complicated position. I simply sacrificed my queen because I thought there was no other moves (I merely oversaw that after 23...Qf8 24.Bxe4 Nf6 I won an exchange), and so I calculated that I had at least the perpetual, and that I could have some points with ...e3, but no more (and it was quite pointless to think about that in fact, even if it is exactly what happened!). There are so many ways for white to make a draw (the obvious 27.e3, 30.Qc6 (but that is already far from obvious)) that if I had thought about it for some more time, I would probably have begun thinking what would go next after 23...Qf8. I will complain no more, because such optimism gave me the occasion to play my best game ever (for the time being at least), as I took great risks, but at the same time I did not play that badly (I still don't see how white could have got a great advantage during the game) and all the game produced a very aesthetic impression (from the exchange sac to the final combination)..>"