Aix-les-Bains, host city of the 2003 and 2007 French Chess Championships
Updated 18 October 2026 · Chess in Savoie, an independent guide
The French Chess Championship was held twice in Aix-les-Bains within four years. In 2003, Étienne Bacrot won his fifth consecutive title there. In 2007, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave became French champion at 16 and a half, the second-youngest in history, while Silvia Collas won the women's title.
French Chess Championship: an annual competition organised by the Fédération française des échecs (French Chess Federation), which awards the titles of French men's and women's champion. It brings together the country's best players by invitation and qualification, most often in August, in a town that changes regularly.
The French Chess Championships in Aix-les-Bains at a glance
| Year | Edition | Champion | Women's champion | Notable feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 78e | Étienne Bacrot | Sophie Milliet | Bacrot crowned after a three-way tie-break |
| 2007 | 82e | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | Silvia Collas | MVL champion at 16 and a half |
2003: Étienne Bacrot, fifth title in a row
By 2003, Étienne Bacrot already dominated French chess. A grandmaster since his teens, he had been French champion without interruption since 1999. In Aix-les-Bains, however, the contest was close: he finished level with Joël Lautier and Andreï Sokolov, two other leading figures of the French national team. A three-way tie-break was needed, and Bacrot won it. It was his fifth consecutive title, from 1999 to 2003.
This three-way tie-break reflects a constant rule of the French Championship: the title is never shared. When several players finish level, additional games at a faster time control decide the winner.
The 2003 women's title: Sophie Milliet
The 2003 women's title went to Sophie Milliet, ahead of Silvia Collas and Roza Te-Lallemand. It was the first of her many national titles. One detail divides the sources: the FFE, in its 2007 press release, describes it as the "French champion 2003 in Aix-les-Bains", whereas the Wikipedia encyclopaedia places that year's women's tournament in Besançon. This guide follows the federation, while noting the discrepancy.
2007: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, French champion at 16
The 82nd French Championship was held in Aix-les-Bains from 13 to 25 August 2007, according to the official FFE press release. It marked the rise to the top of a young player who would become one of the best in the world: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, often known as MVL.
The scenario
After the eleven rounds, MVL finished level with Vladislav Tkachiev on 7.5 points. A rapid-play tie-break could not separate them. The title was then decided by blitz, and Vachier-Lagrave won it. The tie-breaks took place in the auditorium of the Centre des congrès d'Aix-les-Bains.
A record for precocity
The FFE then highlighted that he became French champion "at 16 and a half", making him the second-youngest French champion in history, after Étienne Bacrot, who had won the title in 1999 at the same age. MVL went on to win further national titles and became a pillar of the world elite, even playing in the Candidates Tournament for the world championship.
Rapid tie-break then blitz: if players are tied for the title, they play games at a rapid time control and, if the tie persists, blitz games. This format ensures that a single champion is named at the end of the championship.
The 2007 women's title: Silvia Collas
Among the women, Silvia Collas and Sophie Milliet also finish level. The tie-break is a match: Collas wins the first game and draws the second, which gives her her first title as French champion. Pauline Guichard completes the podium. Sophie Milliet, champion in 2003 in Aix, therefore narrowly fails to repeat the feat in the same town.
Before the championships: the 1991 Aix-les-Bains Open
The tradition of high-level tournaments in Aix-les-Bains is older still. Game databases record an Aix-les-Bains Open in 1991, played over six rounds with some forty players, in which grandmasters Anthony Kosten and Éric Prié finish in first place with 5 points, ahead of Iossif Dorfman, the future French champion. These records are incomplete: the official final standings of this tournament could not be confirmed.
Aix-les-Bains, a chess town
Two French championships in 2003 and 2007, then the individual European Chess Championship in 2011: in less than ten years, the spa town hosted three of the largest competitions a French organiser could host. It forms part of a long line of Alpine towns that have hosted the national championship, from Chamonix in 1927 to L'Alpe d'Huez in 2024, traced in our page on the French championships in the Alps.
How to take part in the French Championship?
The French Championship itself, the event that awards the titles, is reserved for qualified or invited players. However, the event is often accompanied by open tournaments and side events open to any licensed player. To prepare for them, you first need a licence A, then the habit of rated tournaments. The Le Palais des Échecs guide explains how to enter a rated open, and our page on chess licences in Savoie sets out the procedures.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2007 French Chess Championship?
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, in Aix-les-Bains, after a tie-break against Vladislav Tkachiev decided by blitz. Among the women, Silvia Collas beat Sophie Milliet in a tie-break match.
How old was Vachier-Lagrave when he won his first French championship?
He was 16 and a half according to the FFE, which made him the second-youngest French champion in history, after Étienne Bacrot.
How do I take part in the French Chess Championship?
The tournament that awards the title is reserved for qualified or invited players under the FFE regulations. The open tournaments organised alongside it are open to licensed players: you need a licence A and must register with the organiser.
How many times has Aix-les-Bains hosted the French Chess Championship?
Twice, in 2003 and 2007. The town also hosted the individual European Chess Championship in 2011.