Franche-Comté: The kings of chess meet in Belfort for the national team title

The cream of the crop. The cream of the crop of national chess gathered for eleven days at the Belfort village hall. This is the third time the Belfort-Echecs club has organized the French team championship. After 2004 and 2012, the Top 16 will compete under the watchful eye of Bartholdi's beast this year.

The sixteen best French teams will be present: 256 high-level players, including 57 International Masters (IM) and 97 International Grand Masters (GM), among the best in the world. Among them are the two best national players, Alireza Firouzja (Chartres) and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Asnières). The two stars will engage in a fierce battle, via chessboard, to clinch first place in the Top 16. The 2024 title was won by C'Chartres Échecs, at home, against the clubs of Bischwiller and Asnières. Hans Moke Niemann will also be in the running. The American, ranked 16th in the world, will defend the club from Tremblay-en-France.

Each team will present sixteen players, making a total of 256 present in Belfort, but only half, including one female player, will compete in the championship each day.

"The East is the best-represented region," explains Christophe Infanti, president of Belfort-Echecs and organizer, "with clubs from Mulhouse, Bischwiller, Châlons-en-Champagne, Metz and Vandoeuvre."

The 16 teams are divided into two groups, A and B. Chartres is in Group A, Asnières in B. The eight players from each team will face the eight players from an opposing team. Each will play seven rounds over the first seven days in each group, from Thursday the 22nd to Wednesday the 28th inclusive. Each participant's individual points will be added together to rank their team. The top four from Groups A and B will be selected for the upper pool, the bottom four for the lower pool.

The final four days of competition will be crucial for both groups: "In the upper group, the title of French club champion and vice-champion will be decided. In the lower group, the last four will be relegated to National 1."

With 128 players competing in the 64 daily games, the community hall will be packed. But the games take place in reverent silence. The public can watch the rounds upstairs for free. As long as they keep mum and keep their mouths shut, of course!

The first round begins this Thursday afternoon. The competition will conclude on Sunday, June ^1st, with the award ceremony for the French team champion and runner-up. Eight individual medals will be awarded to the best players.

Top 16, French team chess championship, from May 22 to June ¹ at the village hall. Opens Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Games from the 23rd to the 31st at 2:30 p.m., June ^1st at 1:15 p.m. Prize-giving ceremony on June ^1st at 7:30 p.m. Broadcast of the games on the French Chess Federation website and Belfort-Echecs .