French Chess Championships at Alpe d'Huez (2023 and 2024): Jules Moussard, Gozzoli and the finals
Updated 18 October 2026 · Échecs en Savoie, independent guide
Jules Moussard became French chess champion for the second time in 2024 at Alpe d'Huez, beating Laurent Fressinet in the final at blitz. The Isère resort had already hosted the 2023 edition, won by Yannick Gozzoli and Mitra Hejazipour. Both editions used a new format: a 16-player knockout, with rapid, blitz and Armageddon tie-breaks.
The format: a knockout French Championship
16-player knockout: sixteen players meet in matches of two classical games. The loser is eliminated, the winner goes through to the next round (round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, final). In 2023 and 2024, the open and women's brackets followed this format.
Rapid, blitz and Armageddon tie-breaks: if a match is level, the players contest rapid games (15 minutes + 10 seconds per move in 2023), then blitz games (5 minutes + 3 seconds), then a single game known as an Armageddon, in which Black has less time but wins the match if the game is drawn.
This format profoundly changes the nature of the championship. In an eleven-game round-robin, consistency wins out; in a knockout, every match is a final, and mastery of fast time controls becomes decisive. To understand how the clock works in these tie-breaks, the Palais des Échecs guide explains how the clock works in rapid and blitz tie-breaks.
2023: Yannick Gozzoli and Mitra Hejazipour
The 2023 edition was played from 18 to 27 August 2023 at Alpe d'Huez, according to the FIDE report.
The open bracket
In the final, Yannick Gozzoli beat Romain Édouard and won the French championship title. The third-place match pitted Maxime Lagarde against Tigran Gharamian; it ended in an Armageddon, won by Lagarde.
The women's bracket
Mitra Hejazipour beat Deimantė Daulytė-Cornette in the final, after two drawn classical games, a drawn first rapid game and a win in the second. Anastasia Savina took third place against Pauline Guichard.
Born in Iran, Mitra Hejazipour had been dropped from the Iranian team after the 2019 World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Moscow, where she had played without a headscarf. She has represented the French federation since 2021, and FIDE noted in 2023 that she had just obtained French nationality. Her title at Alpe d'Huez is her first French national title.
2024: Jules Moussard and Deimantė Daulytė-Cornette
The 97th French Championship was played at the Palais des sports at Alpe d'Huez, from 16 to 25 August 2024, according to the event regulations published by the FFE. The knockout format was retained.
The open bracket
In the semi-finals, Jules Moussard eliminated Romain Édouard and Laurent Fressinet eliminated Pierre-Laurent Paoli. The final between Moussard and Fressinet went to blitz, where Jules Moussard prevailed. It was his second French championship title, after the one in 2022 at Albi. Romain Édouard took third place by beating Paoli. Source: FIDE.
The women's bracket
Deimantė Daulytė-Cornette, the unlucky finalist in 2023, got her revenge: she beat Pauline Guichard at blitz and won her first French women's championship title. Sophie Milliet finished third by beating Mitra Hejazipour, the title holder.
The results in one table
| Edition | Bracket | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Open | Yannick Gozzoli | Romain Édouard | Maxime Lagarde |
| 2023 | Women's | Mitra Hejazipour | Deimantė Daulytė-Cornette | Anastasia Savina |
| 2024 | Open | Jules Moussard | Laurent Fressinet | Romain Édouard |
| 2024 | Women's | Deimantė Daulytė-Cornette | Pauline Guichard | Sophie Milliet |
Who is Jules Moussard?
Jules Moussard is a French grandmaster and a member of the national elite. His name comes up regularly in Alpine competitions: besides his French championship titles in 2022 and 2024, in 2024 he won the Masters tournament at the La Plagne International Festival, with 7.5 points out of 9, unbeaten. Two prestigious victories in the French Alps in the same summer.
And after Alpe d'Huez?
The resort did not host the following editions. The 2025 French Championship was played in Vichy, with titles for Marc'Andria Maurizzi and Yosha Iglesias, and the 2026 edition, also in Vichy, was won by Étienne Bacrot and Sophie Milliet. The two Alpe d'Huez editions remain the most recent of a long Alpine series, which you can find in our table of French Championships in the Alps.
How to take part in the French Championship
The sixteen places in the open and women's brackets are allocated under FFE regulations, notably by Elo rating and qualifications. For an amateur, the way in remains the opens: you need an A licence, then play rated tournaments to obtain and improve your rating. Our pages on the chess licence and tournaments in Savoie will help you get started.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the French chess champion?
The 2026 French Championship, played in Vichy, was won by Étienne Bacrot in the men's event and Sophie Milliet in the women's. At Alpe d'Huez, the titles went to Yannick Gozzoli and Mitra Hejazipour in 2023, then to Jules Moussard and Deimantė Daulytė-Cornette in 2024.
Who won the 2024 French Chess Championship?
Jules Moussard, who beat Laurent Fressinet in the blitz final at Alpe d'Huez. In the women's event, Deimantė Daulytė-Cornette beat Pauline Guichard.
How is a French Championship final decided in a tie?
In 2023 and 2024, a drawn match in classical games was followed by rapid games, then blitz, then an Armageddon, a single game in which Black wins the match if it is drawn.
How can I take part in the French Chess Championship?
Places in the championship are allocated under FFE regulations (Elo rating, qualifications, invitations). Amateurs can play rated opens with an A licence.