French Championship 2026: Étienne Bacrot and Sophie Milliet clinch titles

by Press release
8/19/2026 – Étienne Bacrot and Sophie Milliet were crowned French chess champions, winning their ninth and seventh national titles, respectively. The 2026 edition of the French Championship took place from August 7 to 16 in Vichy and featured 16-player knockout competitions in the Open and Women’s sections, as well as several side Swiss tournaments. In the main events, if a match was tied after two classical games, a 2-game rapid tiebreak (15+10) was played, followed by a 2-game blitz tiebreak (5+3) and an Armageddon game if necessary. | All photos: Ambrose Ducable
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Bacrot smoothly advanced to the quarterfinals, where he defeated IM Peio Dubois in a tiebreak. His semifinal match against GM Laurent Fressinet followed the same script: after two draws in the classical games, Bacrot prevailed in the rapid tiebreak.

On his way to the final, Lagarde played just one tiebreak, defeating Sébastien Mazé in the Round of 16. His quarterfinal and semifinal matches against Yannick Gozzoli and Marc’Andria Maurizzi (the defending champion), respectively, were more straightforward, as Lagarde won both classical matches by the identical score of 1.5-0.5.

As many expected, the final was a tightly contested match, with both classical games ending in draws. The momentum shifted in the tiebreak, which was dominated by Bacrot, who won both rapid games to claim the title.

The match for bronze between Maurizzi and Fressinet was even closer, coming down to the blitz tiebreak. Maurizzi won both games, securing the victory and completing the podium.

The Women’s competition was equally tense. On her way to the final, Milliet battled past Nino Maisuradze, Manon Schippke, and the defending champion, Yosha Iglesias, while Pauline Guichard consecutively eliminated Natacha Benmesbah, Anastasia Savina, and Marie Sebag.

Similarly to the Open final, the Women’s national title was also decided in a tiebreak. After three straight draws (two classical and one rapid), Milliet came out victorious in the fourth game to secure the title.

In the match for third place, Sebag overcame Iglesias after winning the first classical game and drawing the second.

Games

Renowned for its solidity and strategic soundness, it has been a cornerstone of the repertoires of elite grandmasters including Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi, who relied on it successfully in the Candidates Tournament.
The Petroff Defence has long been one of the most trusted weapons against 1.e4. Renowned for its solidity and strategic soundness, it has been a cornerstone of the repertoires of elite grandmasters including Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi, who relied on it successfully in the Candidates Tournament.
Sample Video: Introduction
Sample Video: 3.Nxe5 d6 - 4th Move Alternatives

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Topics: Etienne Bacrot, French Championship 2026, Sophie Milliet
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From Friday to Sunday: French Championships Finals

8/16/2026 – The French Championship is taking place in Vichy from 7 to 16 August 2026. The competition follows a knockout format, with each match consisting of two classical games, followed, if necessary, by rapid, blitz, and Armageddon tiebreaks. Etienne Bacrot and Maxime Lagarde face off in the final match of the open, while Sophie Milliet and Pauline Guichard are the finalists in the women's chahmpionship. | Photo: Ambrose Ducable
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French Championship 2026

8/12/2026 – The French Championship is taking place in Vichy from 7 to 16 August 2026. The competition follows a knockout format, with each match consisting of two classical games, followed, if necessary, by rapid, blitz, and Armageddon tiebreaks. Marc'Andria Maurizzi (Photo) and Yosha Iglesias, crowned champions in 2025, are still in contention to retain their titles. The first semi-final games begin on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., with the second games taking place at the same time on Thursday. | Photos: Ambrose Ducable
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Video

60m The Two Knights

This entry into the 60 minutes series concentrates on the Modern variation of the Italian game where White opens the centre early : 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 d4 exd4 5 e5!. This line can be reached by various move orders, most frequently from the Scotch 3 d4 exd4 4 Bc4. It's a sharp variation and Grandmasters such as Evgeny Sveshnikov have used it frequently,with very good results. It's a perfect line for club players to adopt which is relatively easy to learn and which contains many traps. All the main responses are covered here, including 5...d5, 5...Ng4 and 5...Ne4 and the conclusion is that is is difficult for Black to equalize in a straightforward way. Problems are being posed, which over the board might prove tough to solve.