From Friday to Sunday: French Championships Finals

by Etienne Mensch
8/14/2026 – 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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Finals and matches for third place

The finals and the matches for third place of the French Championships are taking place from Friday to Sunday (14-16 August). Classical games take place on the first two days, and tiebreaks, if needed, are set to take place on Sunday. The action starts daily at 14.30 CEST.

In the National section, Maxime Lagarde faces Étienne Bacrot in the final. In the Women's National section, the title is contested between Pauline Guichard and Sophie Milliet.

The third-place matches see Laurent Fressinet facing Marc'Andria Maurizzi in the National section, and Yosha Iglesias against Marie Sebag in the Women's National section.

French Chess Championships 2026

Live games and commentary

Open

Women's

Grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller, one of the world’s leading endgame experts, guides you step by step through everything you need to know in this second volume.
Picture this: you’ve outplayed your opponent move by move, you’re clearly better – and then the endgame slips into a draw, simply because you lacked the crucial theoretical knowledge. That is exactly where this course comes in. Without solid endgame skills, there’s no way forward. Rook endgames are most essential: they occur more often than any other type of endgame, and often make the difference between victory and half a point. If you master them, you’ll confidently convert your advantages into wins!
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Bodycheck

Links

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Topics: Etienne Bacrot, French Championship 2026
Etienne Mensch ist Internationaler Meister, Entdecker der digitalen Welt und ... der Geschichte des Schachs! Rund 15 Jahre lang war er sehr aktiv als Schachtrainer. Einer seiner Schüler, Bilel Bellahcene, gewann 2014 bei der U16-Jugendweltmeisterschaft die Bronzemedaille und wurde später Großmeister. Etienne verbindet seine Leidenschaft für Schach und digitale Technik, indem er sich bei Gelegenheit an der Organisation von Veranstaltungen beteiligt. Sein besonderes Interesse gilt Live-Übertragungen, darunter audiovisuelle Produktionen und die Übertragung von Partien.
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See also

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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French Championships: Three veterans and Maurizzi reach semifinals

8/20/2025 – The French Chess Championships are being held in Vichy from 15 to 24 August as part of a large chess festival featuring events for all levels, from national title matches to youth and amateur competitions. The Open and Women's Championships, organised as 16-player knockouts, have now reached the semifinals. In the Open, three veterans join 18-year-old Marc'Andria Maurizzi, while in the Women's, recent champions face ambitious challengers for a place in the final. | Photos: Nathalie Daubry / French Chess Federation

Video

60m English Anti-Bayonet

King’s Indian fans who choose the Mar del Plata attack (7...Nc6) against White’s classical system (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0) usually aim for a complex position with mutual attacks on open wings, requiring long-term strategic planning and tactical sharpness in critical moments. Computers often do not know how to handle the arising complex strategic positions, which suits players who like to think on their own instead of memorizing long variations. However, the fashionable Bayonet Attack (9.b4) interferes with Black’s ideas. After Black’s main move 9...Nh5 the positions opens, the lines get forced and computer analysis is important again. But this DVD offers an antidote against White’s Bayonet Attack, namely 9...a5! This move leads to sound positions with very few concrete lines, in which the focus is on strategy not on tactics. Objectively chances are equal but if Black knows what to do things might quickly become dangerous for White.