Chess clubs in Savoie (73): Chambéry, Aix-les-Bains, Albertville and the Tarentaise

Updated 18 October 2026 · Échecs en Savoie, independent guide

Savoie has five chess clubs affiliated to the French Chess Federation, four of which have licensed players for the 2026-2027 season: the Chambéry-area club (CEAC), the Académie d'Échecs d'Aix-les-Bains, Albertville Savoie Échecs and Le Bois Tarentaise Échecs. For a chess club in Chambéry, the CEAC is the only affiliated address; it plays in Nationale 3, the département's highest level.

All the data on this page comes from the official list of clubs in the Savoie committee and from each club's page on the FFE website, surveyed on 18 October 2026. Numbers of licensed players change through the season: registrations continue until spring.

Table of chess clubs in Savoie

In all, a little over 250 players are licensed with clubs in the département in mid-October. The two big clubs, Chambéry and Aix-les-Bains, alone account for nearly eight licensed players in ten.

Club d'Échecs de l'Agglomération Chambérienne (CEAC)

The CEAC is Chambéry's club. Its registered office and playing room are at 6 avenue des Ducs de Savoie, 73000 Chambéry, an address shared with the departmental committee. On Tuesdays, according to its page, free play takes place in another room. Its first team plays in Nationale 3, its juniors in the Regional Division.

What sets it apart: an almost even split between A licences (competition) and B licences (leisure, rapid, blitz), a sign of a club that welcomes many casual players and young people. The federation page mentions a school for young people and lessons for adult beginners; exact sessions should be checked on chambery-echecs.fr. The club also runs rapid and blitz tournaments, listed in our tournament calendar.

The Palais des Échecs directory also lists chess clubs in Chambéry and its surrounding area, with a page for each town.

Académie d'Échecs d'Aix-les-Bains

It is the club that declares the most opening days in Savoie: seven days a week according to its FFE page. With 73 A licences, it also has the most competitive players in the département. For everything else, refer to its official website; this guide has no connection with it. Our page on where to play chess in Aix-les-Bains details the local options.

Albertville Savoie Échecs

Albertville Savoie Échecs has its registered office at the Maison des associations, 21 rue Georges Lamarque, 73200 Albertville. Free play takes place in the salle des Glycines and lessons in the annexe of the same building. The club declares two opening days a week and plays in the Regional Division. Each season it organises accessible tournaments, including a Halloween tournament and the Tournoi des 4 vallées. Website: albertville-savoie-echecs.fr.

Le Bois Tarentaise Échecs

A small valley club, Le Bois Tarentaise Échecs meets in the council chamber of the Le Bois town hall (73260), on Monday evenings according to its federation page. With nine licensed players, it is the meeting point for Tarentaise players, between Moûtiers and Albertville. It illustrates a reality of the mountains: outside the towns, clubs are small, but they let you play close to home and take out a licence.

Club d'Échecs de Jongieux

The Jongieux club, in the Avant-Pays savoyard, is still on the committee's list, but with no licensed players declared for the 2026-2027 season and no detailed page available. Before travelling, check with the Savoie committee that there is any activity.

How to choose your chess club in Savoie

• Distance first: a club you can go to every week is better than a stronger club 45 minutes away by road.
• Sessions: youth school on Wednesdays, free play in the evening, tournaments on Fridays or at weekends. Compare with your timetable.
• Your goal: playing in a team at a good level (Chambéry in Nationale 3, Aix in Nationale 4) or playing for pleasure in a relaxed atmosphere.
• Accessibility: three clubs declare access for people with reduced mobility. Ask for details if necessary.
• Budget: the licence in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes league costs €48 for an adult A licence in 2026-2027, to which the club subscription is added. See our page on the chess licence in Savoie.

The Savoie committee and the league

The département's clubs are grouped in the “73 - Savoie” departmental committee, whose address is that of the CEAC in Chambéry. Among other things it organises the Savoie championship, played in Aix-les-Bains in 2026-2027, and the youth qualifiers. Above it, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes league organises the regional championships and the regional divisions of the team league.

And beyond Savoie?

The Chambéry basin touches Isère through the Grésivaudan: the Échiquier du Grésivaudan plays in Chapareillan, on the border of the two départements. To the north, Annecy is only half an hour from Aix. See our pages on clubs in Haute-Savoie and clubs in Isère and Hautes-Alpes.