French Championship 2026: Étienne Bacrot and Sophie Milliet clinch titles

French Championship 2026 Recap

WHO: Étienne Bacrot and Sophie Milliet; WHAT: French Championship 2026 Titles; WHERE: Vichy, France; WHEN: August 7 to 16, 2026. The French Chess Championships concluded with Étienne Bacrot securing his ninth title in the Open section and Sophie Milliet winning her seventh title in the Women’s section.

Open Section Highlights

• Étienne Bacrot won the title by defeating Lagarde in the final via rapid tiebreak.
• Lagarde advanced through the tournament with strategic wins, including a quarterfinal and semifinal without needing tiebreaks against Yannick Gozzoli and defending champion Marc’Andria Maurizzi.
• Marc’Andria Maurizzi took third place by winning the blitz tiebreak against GM Laurent Fressinet.

Women’s Section Highlights

• Sophie Milliet claimed the title by winning the decisive fourth game in the tiebreak against Pauline Guichard.
• Milliet’s path included victories over Nino Maisuradze, Manon Schippke, and defending champion Yosha Iglesias.
• Marie Sebag secured third place with a win in the first classical game against Yosha Iglesias.

Notable Participants

Other notable players included IM Peio Dubois, GM Laurent Fressinet, Sébastien Mazé, and Anastasia Savina among others.

Source

This report is based on information published by FIDE — International Chess Federation.

Official source: https://www.fide.com/french-championship-2026-etienne-bacrot-and-sophie-milliet-clinch-titles/