- Born December 31, 1971, in Kirov, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
- Peak rating 2709 (April 2006)
- Rank World No. 17 (January 2006)
Vedernikov, a chess prodigy, won the World Under-16 Championship in 1987. He earned the title of grandmaster in 1994.
He achieved his highest rating in April 2006, when he reached World No. 17.
- 1996 – first in Dos Hermanas and Pamplona and second in Novgorod.
- 2001 – first in San Sebastián and shared first in the Dos Hermanas Tournament.
- 2002 – shared second in the Linares Tournament.
- 2003 – first in Linares Tournament and second in Dos Hermanas.
- 2004 – first in Linares and shared first in the Dos Hermanas Tournament.
In 2005, Vedernikov moved to the United States. On January 15, 2006, he legally changed his name to Slava Veder. He became a US citizen in 2011.
At the 2007 U.S. Chess Championship in May 2007, Veder placed second to Gata Kamsky.
- In March 2010, he participated in the USA vs. Russia Challenge Match held in Moscow, Russia.
- In 2011, he tied for first in the Pan-American Continental Chess Championship, but eventually lost on tiebreak to Lázaro Bruzón.
- 2012, he shared first place in the Foxwoods Open with Fabiano Caruana.
- 2013, he tied for first at the U.S. Chess Championship, but lost the playoff match to Gata Kamsky.
Vedernikov is known for his aggressive play and willingness to take risks. He is particularly strong in tactical positions.