Ranked fourth in the French national ranking
Iranian-born grandmaster Pouya Idani has officially switched federations and will henceforth represent France. The 30-year-old, who has been living in Brest since 2023, appears under the French flag on the latest FIDE lists and immediately becomes one of the country's highest-rated players.
With a classical rating of 2615 on the September list, Idani is fourth among France's active leading grandmasters, behind Alireza Firouzja, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Etienne Bacrot. Marc'Andria Maurizzi and Laurent Fressinet follow closely behind.
On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King offers you a repertoire for Black with the French. Based around ten stem games, all White's major lines against the French are covered.
The top 15 players from France on the September ranking | Source: FIDE
Born in Ahvaz in September 1995, Idani emerged as part of a strong generation of Iranian players during the 2010s. He was runner-up at the World Under-16 Championship in 2011 and won the World Under-18 title two years later. He became a grandmaster in 2014 and has spent much of his subsequent career rated above 2600.
Idani was also a regular member of the Iranian national team. He played at several Chess Olympiads and was part of the squad at the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest, where he occupied board four behind Parham Maghsoodloo, Amin Tabatabaei and Bardiya Daneshvar. He was also part of the Iranian team that won the Asian Games in 2023.
His connection with French chess predates his permanent move to the country. In 2019, Idani joined Echiquier Brestois and played on the top board for the club in the Nationale 2 club championship. He later represented C'Chartres Échecs and currently plays for Marseille Échecs. Marseille finished third in the 2026 Top 16, with Idani in a squad that also included Aydin Suleymanli, Jaime Santos, Augustin Droin and Joseph Girel.
Idani settled permanently in Brest with his wife in April 2023, after she was accepted at the local university. Their daughter was born shortly afterwards. Besides family considerations, he has pointed to the practical advantages of being based in Europe, including easier access to tournaments and league competitions.
Pouya Idani with his teammates from Marseille Échecs - the finished third in the Top 16 team tournament this year | Photo: Marseille Échecs
Checkmate. That's the aim of the game. There are numerous ways to checkmate the enemy king, but there are common patterns that recur over and over again, and having these at our mental fingertips is essential for when we want to finish the game.Idani has explained that the change of federation reflects the fact that he expects to continue living in France. He currently has a French residence permit and intends to apply for citizenship once he becomes eligible. There were also sporting and administrative reasons behind his departure from the Iranian federation. Idani said that promises made to him had not been fulfilled and that bonuses remained unpaid.
He is not the first leading Iranian-born player to move to the French federation. Alireza Firouzja began representing France in 2021, while Mitra Hejazipour, who had previously played for Iran, later settled in France and became French women's champion in 2023.
Brest in particular has developed notable links with Iranian chess. Idani first played for the city's club in 2019, while Hejazipour also spent time there. More recently, Iranian leading grandmasters Tabatabaei and Maghsoodloo have been based in France, although both continue to represent Iran internationally.
The top team representing Brest in 2019, with both Pouya Idani and Mitra Hejazipour (second from the left, sitting) in the lineup | Photo: Brest Chess Club
National-team eligibility
One point surrounding the transfer has required clarification. Europe Échecs reported that the FIDE transfer register listed 27 August 2026 as the date from which Idani could represent France in official FIDE events. The report also noted that a €3,500 transfer fee appeared in the register.
However, chess.com subsequently updated its report after receiving information directly from the French Chess Federation. According to the federation, the €3,500 fee was not paid, meaning that although Idani now has the FRA federation code, he will not become eligible to play for France in national-team events until 31 December 2027.
In any case, Idani will not play for France at the upcoming Olympiad in Samarkand, as the French team had already been selected before his federation switch.
The French federation had already changed its own selection regulations in March 2026. Previously, French citizenship was required to represent the country in its senior national teams, but the federation decided to bring its rules into line with FIDE regulations and allow players registered under the FRA code to be considered for selection.
Still focused on playing
Idani has been less active on the tournament circuit in recent years, devoting more time to coaching and producing instructional material, but he continues to regard himself primarily as a competitive player.
Accept the Morra Gambit with confidence. Tame the Grand Prix Attack. Put fear into the heart of every tedious 2 c3 player. You can make 1...c5 a dangerous weapon whether it's an open or closed Sicilian.He has remained active in French events. In May, he won the inaugural Lecci International Open in Corsica with 7/9, finishing half a point ahead of a group of chasers. His victories included wins over Haik Martirosyan and Alexander Donchenko.
Among the events on his schedule are the Grand Swiss and the World Rapid and Blitz Championships. He has also identified the European Individual Championship as a particular target now that he represents a European federation.
The top finishers from the 2026 Lecci Open holding trophies: Pranesh M (second place, 6½/9), Pouya Idani (winner, 7/9) and Elham Amar (third place, 6½/9) | Photo: Corse Échecs
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