A bstract A search for supersymmetric particles produced in the vector boson fusion topology in proton-proton collisions is presented. The search targets final states with one or zero leptons, large missing transverse momentum, and two jets with a large separation in rapidity. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb −1 of proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV collected in 2016 with the CMS detector at the LHC. The observed dijet invariant mass and lepton-neutrino transverse mass spectra are found to be consistent with the standard model predictions. Upper limits are set on the cross sections for chargino $$ \left({\tilde{\upchi}}_1^{\pm}\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfenced> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> and neutralino $$ \left({\tilde{\upchi}}_2^0\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfenced> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> production with two associated jets. For a compressed mass spectrum scenario in which the $$ {\tilde{\upchi}}_1^{\pm } $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> and $$ {\tilde{\upchi}}_2^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> decays proceed via a light slepton and the mass difference between the lightest neutralino $$ {\tilde{\upchi}}_1^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> and the mass-degenerate particles $$ {\tilde{\upchi}}_1^{\pm } $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> and $$ {\tilde{\upchi}}_2^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> is 1 (30) GeV, the most stringent lower limit to date of 112 (215) GeV is set on the mass of these latter two particles.