The French Chess Championship is the annual, national chess tournament of France. It was officially first played in 1923 after the formation of the Fédération Française des Echecs in 1921. The first unofficial national tournament was played in 1880, in the Café de la Régence, where further edition were held in 1881 and 1883. The 1903 and 1914 tournaments were the first real predecessors of the official championship. They ran under the name Championnat de France des amateurs (Championship of the chess enthusiasts).

Unofficial championships

# Championship Year City Winner (1) National-ch 1880 Paris Samuel Rosenthal (2) National-ch 1881 Paris Edward Chamier (3) National-ch 1883 Paris Albert Clerc (1) Amateur-ch 1903 Arcachon Adolphe Silbert (2) Amateur-ch 1914 Lyon Alphonse Goetz

Official championships

# Year City Winner 1 1923 Paris Georges Renaud 2 1924 Strasbourg Robert Crépeaux 3 1925 Nice Robert Crépeaux 4 1926 Biarritz André Chéron 5 1927 Chamonix André Chéron 6 1928 Marseille Aimé Gibaud 7 1929 Saint-Claude André Chéron 8 1930 Rouen Aimé Gibaud 9 1931 Lille André Muffang 10 1932 La Baule Maurice Raizman 11 1933 Sarreguemines Aristide Gromer 12 1934 Paris Victor Kahn 13 1935 Saint-Alban-les-Eaux Aimé Gibaud 14 1936 Paris Maurice Raizman 15 1937 Toulouse Aristide Gromer 16 1938 Nice Aristide Gromer ** 1939 The 17th French championship was scheduled to be played in Le Havre and Rouen from 8 to 17 September 1939, but was cancelled after the outbreak of World War II. ** 1940 The Dictionnaire des Echecs by François Le Lionnais and Ernst Maget (PUF, Paris, 1974) states that a French championship was held in 1940 in Nice and was won by Aimé Gibaud; but no corroborating evidence of such a tournament has been found. 17 1941 Paris Robert Crépeaux 18 1942 Paris Roger Daniel 19 1943 Pau Louis Bigot ** 1944 Paris The 20th French championship was scheduled to be played from August 17 to 27, but the tournament was abandoned after the second round on August 18 due to the liberation of the city by Allied forces. 20 1945 Roubaix César Boutteville 21 1946 Bordeaux Maurice Raizman 22 1947 Rouen Maurice Raizman 23 1948 Paris Nicolas Rossolimo 24 1949 Besançon Claude Hugot 25 1950 Aix-en-Provence César Boutteville 26 1951 Vichy Maurice Raizman 27 1952 Charleville Maurice Raizman 28 1953 Paris Savielly Tartakower 29 1954 Marseille César Boutteville 30 1955 Toulouse César Boutteville 31 1956 Vittel Pierre Rolland 32 1957 Bordeaux Volf Bergraser 33 1958 Le Touquet Claude Lemoine 34 1959 Reims César Boutteville 35 1961 Paris Guy Mazzoni 36 1962 Paris André Thiellement 37 1963 Paris André Thiellement 38 1964 Montpellier Michel Roos 39 1965 Dunkerque Guy Mazzoni 40 1966 Grenoble Volf Bergraser 41 1967 Dieppe César Boutteville 42 1968 Charbonnières-les-Bains Jean-Claude Letzelter 43 1969 Pau Jacques Planté 44 1970 Mulhouse Jacques Maclès 45 1971 Mérignac Jean-Claude Letzelter 46 1972 Rosny-sous-Bois Aldo Haïk 47 1973 Vittel Michel Benoit 48 1974 Chambéry Jean-Claude Letzelter 49 1975 Dijon Miodrag Todorcevic 50 1976 Saint-Jean-de-Monts François Chevaldonnet 51 1977 Le Touquet Louis Roos 52 1978 Castelnaudary Nicolas Giffard 53 1979 Courchevel Bachar Kouatly 54 1980 Puteaux Jean-Luc Seret 55 1981 Vitrolles Jean-Luc Seret 56 1982 Schiltigheim Nicolas Giffard 57 1983 Belfort Aldo Haïk 58 1984 Alès Jean-Luc Seret 59 1985 Clermont-Ferrand Jean-Luc Seret 60 1986 Épinal Gilles Mirallès 61 1987 Rouen Christophe Bernard 62 1988 Val Thorens Gilles Andruet 63 1989 Épinal Gilles Mirallès 64 1990 Angers Marc Santo-Roman 65 1991 Montpellier Marc Santo-Roman 66 1992 Strasbourg Manuel Apicella 67 1993 Nantes Emmanuel Bricard 68 1994 Chambéry Marc Santo-Roman 69 1995 Toulouse Éric Prié 70 1996 Auxerre Christian Bauer 71 1997 Narbonne Anatoly Vaisser 72 1998 Méribel Josif Dorfman 73 1999 Besançon Étienne Bacrot 74 2000 Vichy Étienne Bacrot 75 2001 Marseille Étienne Bacrot 76 2002 Val-d'Isère Étienne Bacrot 77 2003 Aix-les-Bains Étienne Bacrot 78 2004 Val-d'Isère Joël Lautier 79 2005 Chartres Joël Lautier 80 2006 Besançon Vladislav Tkachiev 81 2007 Aix-les-Bains Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 82 2008 Pau Étienne Bacrot 83 2009 Nîmes Vladislav Tkachiev 84 2010 Belfort Laurent Fressinet 85 2011 Caen Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 86 2012 Pau Romain Edouard, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Christian Bauer, Étienne Bacrot 87 2013 Nancy Hicham Hamdouchi 88 2014 Nîmes Laurent Fressinet 89 2015 Saint Quentin Christian Bauer 90 2016 Agen Matthieu Cornette 91 2017 Agen Étienne Bacrot 92 2018 Nîmes Tigran Gharamian 93 2019 Chartres Maxime Lagarde ** 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic ** 2021 cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 94 2022 Albi Jules Moussard 95 2023 Alpe d'Huez Yannick Gozzoli 96 2024 Alpe d'Huez Jules Moussard 97 2025 Vichy Marc'Andria Maurizzi

Notes

Women's winners

Year City Winner 1924 Paris Marie Jeanne Frigard 1925 Paris Paulette Schwartzmann (off contest) Marie Jeanne Frigard 1926 Paris Marie Jeanne Frigard 1927 Paris Paulette Schwartzmann (off contest) Marie Jeanne Frigard 1928 Paris Paulette Schwartzmann (off contest) Jeanne D'Autremont 1929 Paris Paulette Schwartzmann (off contest) Jeanne D'Autremont 1931 Paris Paulette Schwartzmann (off contest) Louise Pape 1932 Paris Alice Tonini (off contest) Jeanne D'Autremont 1933 Paris Alice Tonini (off contest) Paulette Schwartzmann 1934 Paris Alice Tonini (off contest) Maud Flandin 1935 Paris Paulette Schwartzmann 1936 Paris Chantal Chaudé de Silans 1937 Toulouse Angles D'Auriac 1938 Nice Paulette Schwartzmann 1941 Paris Long 1942 Paris Duval 1943 Paris Suzanne Dehelly

  • No contest held between 1944 and 1954

Year City Winner 1955 Toulouse Vazeille 1956 Vittel Isabelle Choko

  • No contest held between 1957 and 1974

Year City Winner 1975 Paris Milinka Merlini 1976 Saint-Jean-de-Monts Milinka Merlini 1977 Le Touquet Milinka Merlini 1978 Castelnaudary Milinka Merlini 1979 Courchevel Monique Ruck-Petit 1980 Paris Milinka Merlini 1981 Orange Josiane Legendre 1982 Orange Martine Dubois 1983 Montpellier Julia Lebel-Arias 1984 Loches Isabelle Kientzler 1985 Lille Christine Leroy 1986 Orange Julia Lebel-Arias 1987 Baud Sabine Fruteau 1988 not played 1989 Orange Sabine Fruteau 1990 Challes-les-Eaux Julia Lebel-Arias 1991 Montpellier Christine Flear (née Leroy) 1992 Le Havre Claire Gervais 1993 Nantes Claire Gervais 1994 Chambéry Christine Flear (née Leroy) 1995 Toulouse Raphaelle Bujisho (later Raphaelle Delahaye) 1996 Auxerre Claire Gervais 1997 Bastia Malina Nicoara 1998 Meribel Christine Flear (née Leroy) 1999 Besançon Christine Flear (née Leroy) 2000 Vichy Marie Sebag 2001 Marseille Maria Nepeina-Leconte 2002 Val d'Isère Marie Sebag 2003 Aix-les-Bains Sophie Milliet 2004 Val d'Isère Almira Skripchenko 2005 Chartres Almira Skripchenko 2006 Besançon Almira Skripchenko 2007 Aix-les-Bains Silvia Collas 2008 Pau Sophie Milliet 2009 Nîmes Sophie Milliet 2010 Belfort Almira Skripchenko 2011 Caen Sophie Milliet 2012 Pau Almira Skripchenko 2013 Nancy Nino Maisuradze 2014 Nîmes Nino Maisuradze 2015 Saint Quentin Almira Skripchenko 2016 Agen Sophie Milliet 2017 Agen Sophie Milliet 2018 Nîmes Pauline Guichard 2019 Chartres Pauline Guichard 2022 Albi Almira Skripchenko 2023 Alpe d'Huez Mitra Hejazipour 2024 Alpe d'Huez Deimantė Daulyte-Cornette 2025 Vichy Yosha Iglesias

Some crosstables

FRA-ch (Women) 77th Val d'Isere 2002 Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 Points TB Perf. +/- 1 Marie Sebag (France) 2344 * ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 9 2417 +9 2 Christine Flear (France) 2176 ½ * 1 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 7½ 35.50 2304 +19 3 Raphaelle Delahaye (France) 2166 ½ 0 * ½ 1 ½ 1 0 1 1 1 1 7½ 34.75 2305 +21 4 Roza Lallemand (France) 2301 0 1 ½ * ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 7½ 33.75 2293 0 5 Sophie Milliet (France) 2173 ½ 0 0 ½ * 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 7½ 32.50 2304 +20 6 Anne Muller (France) 2169 0 1 ½ 1 0 * 0 0 ½ 1 1 1 6 2204 +5 7 Friederike Wohlers Armas (France) 2170 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 * ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 5½ 2172 0 8 Marina Costagliola (France) 2238 0 0 1 0 0 1 ½ * 0 1 ½ 1 5 2135 -16 9 Claire Marchadour (France) 2081 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 * ½ ½ ½ 4½ 2116 +5 10 Martine Dubois (France) 2049 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ * 1 1 3 2014 -6 11 Aurelie Dacalor (France) 2123 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 * 1 2 1916 -27 12 Melanie Verot (France) 2077 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 * 1 1781 -30

FRA-ch (Women) 85th Belfort 2010 Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points TB Perf. +/- 1 Almira Skripchenko (France) 2458 ** ½½ ½1 1½ ½1 ½1 7½ 2498 +5 2 Sophie Milliet (France) 2367 ½½ ** 10 00 1½ 11 6 2396 +4 3 Maria Nepeina-Leconte (France) 2337 ½0 01 ** ½1 10 ½½ 5½ 2366 +4 4 Silvia Collas (France) 2333 0½ 11 ½0 ** ½0 ½½ 5 2333 0 5 Pauline Guichard (France) 2320 ½0 0½ 01 ½1 ** ½½ 4 2265 -8 6 Marina Roumegous (France) 2181 ½0 00 ½½ ½½ ½½ ** 2 2123 -6

Average Elo: 2332 <=> Cat: 4

FRA-ch (Women) 86th Caen 2011 Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points TB Perf. +/- 1 Sophie Milliet (France) 2355 ** ½½ ½1 1½ ½1 ½1 7 2445 +12 2 Nino Maisuradze (France) 2329 ½½ ** 10 00 1½ 11 5½ 2338 +1 3 Andreea Bollengier (France) 2207 ½0 01 ** ½1 10 ½½ 5 2327 +17 4 Pauline Guichard (France) 2305 0½ 11 ½0 ** ½0 ½½ 4½ 22.75 2274 -4 5 Maria Nepeina-Leconte (France) 2327 ½0 0½ 01 ½1 ** ½½ 4½ 21.50 2269 -8 6 Silvia Collas (France) 2323 ½0 00 ½½ ½½ ½½ ** 3½ 2198 -18

Average Elo: 2307 <=> Cat: 3

External links

  • [dead link]
  • Larousse du jeu d'Échecs (1997)