International chess festival of La Plagne: dates, tournaments and winners
Updated 18 October 2026 · Chess in Savoy, independent guide
The International Chess Festival of La Plagne is the major summer chess event in Savoy. Organised every early July by the Annemasse club (CABE), it features a Masters tournament with a €20,000 prize fund in 2026, Accession and Amateur tournaments for other levels, and a blitz event. Its 6th edition, held from 4 to 10 July 2026, was won by Indian grandmaster Iniyan Pa.
La Plagne in summer: a chess festival at altitude
La Plagne, in the Tarentaise valley, is known for its ski area, but in summer it also attracts walkers, cyclists and families. For chess players, the resort has in a few years become a major stop on the European summer open circuit. The festival lets you combine a week of competition with a mountain holiday: between rounds, the mountains are right at the door of the playing hall.
Recent editions were held at the Salle des Congrès de Belle Plagne (2025 and 2026), with, in 2026, a free shuttle from Plagne Bellecôte according to the FFE tournament listing. The 2022 edition took place in a room at the Sun Valley hotel.
The festival's tournaments
Masters tournament: the main tournament, reserved for players rated above an Elo threshold (over 1900 in 2026, except titled players). Accession: an intermediate tournament for players below this threshold. Amateur: a tournament for less experienced players. The exact thresholds for each edition are set out in the organiser's regulations.
| Tournament | Audience | 2026 format | Rating status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masters | Elo above 1900, titled players | 9 rounds, 1 h 30 + 30 s per move, 4 to 10 July | FFE and FIDE |
| Accession | Players below the Masters threshold | Classical time control, from 4 July | FFE |
| Amateur | Beginners and lower-rated players | From 4 July | FFE |
| Blitz | Open | One day, 9 July | FFE |
The prize fund for the 2026 Masters tournament was €20,000, of which €3,500 went to the winner. The La Plagne tourist office announced €30,000 in prizes across all events combined.
Past winners of the La Plagne festival
| Edition | Dates | Masters winner | Players (Masters) | Masters prize fund |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2e, 2022 | 2–9 July | Vitaly Sivuk (7/9, on tie-break) | 95 | 6 600 € |
| 3e, 2023 | 8–15 July | not confirmed | — | — |
| 4e, 2024 | 6–12 July | Jules Moussard (7.5/9) | 184, from 22 countries | 16 000 € |
| 5e, 2025 | 5–11 July | Yuri Solodovnichenko (7.5/9) | 170, from 25 countries | 20 000 € |
| 6e, 2026 | 4–10 July | Iniyan Pa (7.5/9) | about 140 | 20 000 € |
2022: Vitaly Sivuk on tie-break
Grandmaster Vitaly Sivuk won the 2nd edition on tie-break, with 7 points out of 9, level with young Indian player Iniyan Pa; Sayantan Das finished third. The Masters tournament then had 95 players, including 9 grandmasters, and the blitz had 72 participants.
2024: Jules Moussard, unbeaten
A change of scale in 2024: 184 players from 22 countries in the Masters tournament, including 17 grandmasters. Frenchman Jules Moussard won with 7.5 points out of 9, without defeat, ahead of Raja Rithvik and Iniyan Pa. A few weeks later he won his second French champion title at Alpe d'Huez (see our page on the French championships at Alpe d'Huez).
2025: Yuri Solodovnichenko
Grandmaster Yuri Solodovnichenko won the 5th edition with 7.5 points out of 9, unbeaten, ahead of Iniyan Pa and Nitish Belurkar. The Masters tournament drew 170 players from 25 countries and the Amateur tournament 132 players.
2026: Iniyan Pa's triumph
Second in 2022 and 2025, third in 2024, India's Iniyan Pa finally wins the 6th edition with 7.5 points out of 9, unbeaten (six wins, three draws), and a performance rating of 2691. He finishes ahead of International Master Danyil Mosesov and Italian Grandmaster Luca Moroni. The FFE (Fédération française des échecs, the French Chess Federation) records around 140 entrants in the Masters tournament; the Indian news agency PTI mentions players from 20 countries.
How to take part in the La Plagne festival
- Check your licence: rated tournaments require an FFE licence (or that of your federation for a foreign player). See our chess licence page.
- Choose your tournament according to your Elo rating: Masters, Accession or Amateur.
- Register early with the organiser: the festival is attracting more and more foreign players, and accommodation in the resort is booked well in advance.
- Plan for the blitz: a relaxed evening between slow rounds, open to everyone.
What to pack for the resort
A week of tournament play also means analysing in the evenings at the apartment and playing impromptu games on a terrace. A light, compact set is the ideal companion: Le Palais des Échecs offers a guide to choosing a travel chess set for the mountains, including magnetic and folding formats.
La Plagne and Les Menuires: two summer opens in the Tarentaise
Since 2026, La Plagne is no longer alone: Les Menuires, another resort in the Tarentaise, has launched its own international open the following week, from 11 to 18 July. The two tournaments follow one another on the calendar, which makes it possible to string together two weeks of competition. See our page on the Les Menuires chess open, and to plan the whole stay, playing chess on holiday in the Alps.
Frequently asked questions
When is the La Plagne chess festival held?
The festival takes place in early July. The 6th edition ran from 4 to 10 July 2026. The dates for the 2027 edition will be published by the organiser and on the FFE website.
Who organises the La Plagne chess festival?
The CE du Bassin Annemassien (CABE), the chess club of Annemasse in Haute-Savoie, which also organises the Annemasse international festival.
Who won the 2026 La Plagne festival?
Grandmaster Iniyan Pa of India, with 7.5 points out of 9, unbeaten, ahead of Danyil Mosesov and Luca Moroni.
Do you have to be a rated player to take part?
No. The Masters tournament is reserved for players above an Elo threshold, but the Accession and Amateur tournaments welcome lower-rated players. A licence is required for rated tournaments.