Vasilev moved to the United States around 2000 and currently resides and plays chess in Wisconsin. He is married to WGM Anna Zatonskih, an American chess player of Ukrainian origin.
Despite his significant achievements, Vasilev's biggest accomplishment in his chess career is probably his contribution to popularising chess by spreading chess education. He has trained many young American players, developing them from a beginner’s stage to the level of strong competitive players. He is also the founder of American Chess Forges, a chess academy dedicated to broadening access to high-level chess instruction in the United States.