Etienne Bacrot wins French Championship

by Johannes Fischer
8/28/2017 – Etienne Bacrot did it again. At the French Championship which was played form 19th to 27th August in Agen he won his eighth National Championship. After a dramatic last round and a tie-break against Laurent Fressinet. Sophie Milliet became French Women's Champion. | Photo: Pascal Simon

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The last round of the French Championship could hardly have been more dramatic: after eight of nine rounds five of the ten players shared first place with 5.0/8 each: Laurent Fressinet, Etienne Bacrot, Christian Bauer, Tigran Gharamian and Yannick Gozzoli.

Bacrot played in the last round with Black against his direct rival Bauer and won convincingly:

 
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1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Qb3 c6 8.e3 0-0 9.Rd1 Nd7 10.Bd3 g6 11.0-0 Bg7 12.Rfe1 dxc4 13.Bxc4 b5 14.Bd3 Bb7 15.Be4 Rb8 16.a3 a5 17.Ne5 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Qb6 19.f4 Rfd8 20.Kf2 b4 21.Na4 Qb5 22.axb4 Bf8 23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.Rd1 Rxd1 25.Qxd1 Qxb4 26.Qc2 g5 27.b3 gxf4 28.exf4 Qd4+ 29.Kf3 Ba6 30.Bxc6 Bb4 31.Be4 Bd2 32.Qc5 Qa1 33.Qd6 Qd1+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Bauer,C2650Bacrot,E27150–12017D5592nd FRA-ch Men 20179

Gharamian and Gozzoli also belonged to the leading five players but in their game they both showed little ambition to become French Champion 2017: after 19 moves they managed to draw a well-known theoretical line by a repetition of moves:

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Qc2 Nc6 9.a3 Qa5 10.Rd1 Re8 11.Nd2 e5 12.Bg5 Nd4 13.Qc1 Bf5 14.Bxf6 Nc2+ 15.Ke2 Nd4+ 16.Ke1 Nc2+ 17.Ke2 Nd4+ 18.Ke1 Nc2+ 19.Ke2 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gozzoli,Y2592Gharamian,T2616½–½2017D3792nd FRA-ch Men 20179

Laurent Fressinet fared much better. He played with Black against Jean-Luc Chabanon who overambitiously sacrificed an exchange and a few moves later succumbed to a powerful counterattack.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Bf5 4.Bg2 e6 5.c4 c6 6.Qb3 Qb6 7.c5 Qa6 8.Nc3 b6 9.cxb6 axb6 10.0-0 Be7 11.Nd2 0-0 12.e4 Bg6 13.Re1 Rd8 14.a3 Ra7 15.exd5 cxd5 16.Bf1 Qb7 17.Nf3 Nc6 18.Nb5 Raa8 19.Nh4 Na5 20.Qa2 Bh5 21.Bf4 Ne4 22.Rac1 Nc6 23.Rxc6 Qxc6 24.Rc1 Qd7 25.Nc7 Ra5 26.Qb3 g5 27.Qxb6 gxf4 28.Qxa5 Bxh4 29.gxh4 Kh8 30.Bh3 Rg8+ 31.Kf1 Qe7 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Chabanon,J2467Fressinet,L26500–12017D1192nd FRA-ch Men 20179

Thus after nine rounds Bacrot and Fressinet shared first place with 6.0/9 each.

Final standings after 9 rounds

Rg. Tit. Name Elo 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts.
1 GM Etienne Bacrot 2715   ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 6.0 / 9
2 GM Laurent Fressinet 2650 ½   1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 6.0 / 9
3 GM Tigran Gharamian 2616 ½ 0   ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 5.5 / 9
4 GM Yannick Gozzoli 2592 ½ ½ ½   0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 5.5 / 9
5 GM Christian Bauer 2650 0 ½ 0 1   ½ ½ ½ 1 1 5.0 / 9
6 GM Sebastien Maze 2612 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½   ½ ½ ½ 1 5.0 / 9
7 GM Maxime Lagarde 2607 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½   1 ½ 1 5.0 / 9
8 GM Matthieu Cornette 2609 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0   1 ½ 4.0 / 9
9 GM Jean Luc Chabanon 2467 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0   ½ 1.5 / 9
10 IM Jean Francois Jolly 2381 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½   1.5 / 9

Games

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 a5 6.a3 a4 7.Ba2 Bd6 8.Nc3 Be6 9.0-0 h6 10.d4 Nxe4 11.dxe5 Bc5 12.Nd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Nxc3 14.Qxc3 0-0 15.Qg3 Kh8 16.Be3 d4 17.Bxe6 fxe6 18.Rad1 c5 19.Qh3 Kh7 20.c3 Nc6 21.Qxe6 Qe8 22.Qxe8 Rfxe8 23.cxd4 cxd4 24.Bxd4 Nxd4 25.Rxd4 Rxe5 26.h4 Rb5 27.Rd2 Ra6 28.Rc1 Rb3 29.Rc7 Rg6 30.g3 Rg4 31.Kg2 b6 32.f3 Rg6 33.h5 Rf6 34.Rdd7 Rbxf3 35.Rxg7+ Kh8 36.Rh7+ Kg8 37.Rcg7+ Kf8 38.Ra7 Rf2+ 39.Kh3 Kg8 40.Rhg7+ Kh8 41.Rgb7 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Bauer,C2650Gozzoli,Y25921–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20171
Fressinet,L2650Bacrot,E2715½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20171
Gharamian,T2616Jolly,J23811–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20171
Maze,S2612Lagarde,M2607½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20171
Cornette,M2609Chabanon,J24671–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20171
Bacrot,E2715Gozzoli,Y2592½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20172
Fressinet,L2650Cornette,M2609½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20172
Lagarde,M2607Gharamian,T2616½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20172
Chabanon,J2467Maze,S2612½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20172
Jolly,J2381Bauer,C26500–1201792nd FRA-ch Men 20172
Bauer,C2650Lagarde,M2607½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20173
Gharamian,T2616Chabanon,J24671–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20173
Maze,S2612Fressinet,L2650½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20173
Cornette,M2609Bacrot,E2715½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20173
Gozzoli,Y2592Jolly,J23811–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20173
Bacrot,E2715Jolly,J2381½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20174
Fressinet,L2650Gharamian,T26161–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20174
Cornette,M2609Maze,S2612½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20174
Lagarde,M2607Gozzoli,Y2592½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20174
Chabanon,J2467Bauer,C26500–1201792nd FRA-ch Men 20174
Bauer,C2650Fressinet,L2650½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20175
Gharamian,T2616Cornette,M2609½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20175
Maze,S2612Bacrot,E2715½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20175
Gozzoli,Y2592Chabanon,J24671–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20175
Jolly,J2381Lagarde,M26070–1201792nd FRA-ch Men 20175
Bacrot,E2715Lagarde,M26071–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20176
Fressinet,L2650Gozzoli,Y2592½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20176
Maze,S2612Gharamian,T2616½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20176
Cornette,M2609Bauer,C2650½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20176
Chabanon,J2467Jolly,J2381½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20176
Bauer,C2650Maze,S2612½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20177
Gharamian,T2616Bacrot,E2715½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20177
Lagarde,M2607Chabanon,J2467½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20177
Gozzoli,Y2592Cornette,M26091–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20177
Jolly,J2381Fressinet,L26500–1201792nd FRA-ch Men 20177
Bacrot,E2715Chabanon,J24671–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20178
Fressinet,L2650Lagarde,M2607½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20178
Gharamian,T2616Bauer,C26501–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20178
Maze,S2612Gozzoli,Y2592½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20178
Cornette,M2609Jolly,J2381½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20178
Bauer,C2650Bacrot,E27150–1201792nd FRA-ch Men 20179
Lagarde,M2607Cornette,M26091–0201792nd FRA-ch Men 20179
Gozzoli,Y2592Gharamian,T2616½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 20179
Chabanon,J2467Fressinet,L26500–1201792nd FRA-ch Men 20179
Jolly,J2381Maze,S26120–1201792nd FRA-ch Men 20179

Now Fressinet and Bacrot had to play a tie-break for the title - and this brought even more drama. After four draws Bacrot finally won the decisive Armageddon game and became French Champion 2017.

Rg. Tit. Name Elo   Score
1 GM Etienne Bacrot 2715 ½½½½1 3.0 / 5
2 GM Laurent Fressinet 2650 ½½½½0 2.0 / 5

Tie-Break games

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.axb5 axb5 9.c3 d6 10.d4 Bb6 11.Qd3 0-0 12.Bg5 exd4 13.cxd4 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 Nh5 16.e5 Kg7 17.Bc2 Rh8 18.Qc3 Nxg3 19.hxg3 g4 20.d5 Nxe5 21.Nxe5 dxe5 22.Qxe5+ Qf6 23.Qxf6+ Kxf6 24.Nc3 Bd7 25.d6 cxd6 26.Rfd1 Kg7 27.Rxd6 Be6 28.Ra6 Bc5 29.Rdc6 Rhc8 30.Bd3 b4 31.Ne4 Rxc6 32.Rxc6 Bd4 33.Nc5 Bxc5 34.Rxc5 Rd8 35.Bf5 Rd1+ 36.Kh2 Bxf5 37.Rxf5 Rd4 38.Rb5 Kg6 39.Kg1 Rd1+ 40.Kh2 Rd4 41.Kg1 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Bacrot,E2715Fressinet,L2650½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 201710.1
Fressinet,L2650Bacrot,E2715½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 201710.2
Bacrot,E2715Fressinet,L2650½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 201710.3
Fressinet,L2650Bacrot,E2715½–½201792nd FRA-ch Men 201710.4
Fressinet,L2650Bacrot,E27150–1201792nd FRA-ch Men 201710.5

The Women's Championship was much less dramatic. Here Sophie Milliet dominated from beginning to end and finished with 8.0/9, 2.5 points ahead of her closest rivals.

    Pays Elo 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts SB
1 m Sophie MILLIET 2362 F   1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 8 32½
2 ff Cecile HAUSSERNOT 2077 F 0   1 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 0 5½ 22½
3 m Silvia COLLAS 2289 F ½ 0   0 1 1 1 0 1 1 5½ 21½
4 mf Andreea-Cristiana NAVROTESCU 2150 F 0 0 1   0 1 1 1 ½ ½ 5 19¼
5 gf Maria LECONTE 2208 F 0 1 0 1   0 0 ½ 1 1 4½ 17¾
6 mf Natacha BENMESBAH 2271 F 0 ½ 0 0 1   0 ½ 1 1 4 14½
7 gf Anda SAFRANSKA 2224 F ½ 0 0 0 1 1   ½ ½ 0 3½ 15¾
8 gf Nino MAISURADZE 2280 F 0 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½   0 1 3½ 14
9 ff Isabelle MALASSAGNE 2061 F 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1   1 3 10¼
10 mf Marina ROUMEGOUS 2142 F 0 1 0 ½ 0 0 1 0 0   2½ 11½

Sophie Milliet | Photo: Alina l'Ami

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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