Jules MOUSSARD, French Blitz Champion 2018, flies over the tournament and wins with the maximum score of 9 points out of 9, and an incredible performance of more than 3000 Elos !!!

The international tournament was very intense, with the participation of 7 Grand Masters, 8 Masters and 9 Fide Masters. It brought together 134 players, with 10 different nationalities, 55 Clichois including 42 young people. The first 4 parts broadcast live on our site, on FollowChess (computer + mobile version) and Chess24, were widely followed on the internet. In the magnificent setting of the halls of the town hall, it was effervescence. On the one hand, the overheated neurons were fencing on the chessboard, while on the other, on giant screens, the games were commented by the International Grand Masters Axel Delorme and Eloi Relange. The tournament paused for an hour to make way for a high-end conference on Chess and computers "From the Turkish automaton to artificial intelligence", given by Eloi Relange. The Powerpoint version will soon be online on the site.

In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.

Pauline Guichard, our guest of honor, reigning French champion, has a very good run finishing 5th and beating GMI Jean-Luc Chabanon in the last round. Note also the excellent place (7th) of our team captain of N1 Stéphane Sorbe.

For the young Clichois, trained in the schools of Clichy, the task was more complicated, it was for many their first tournament, and they were not unworthy, showing at the same time concentration, combativeness, and sportsmanship.

The young Clichois were also in the spotlight the day before, on Saturday: in the gardens of the town hall, a meeting between the Clichois school team (1st in the school tournament of CP, CE1, CE2 CM1, CM2) took place on a giant chessboard. and the very strong Bois Colombes team, whom we thank for their participation. Xavier Rubini's spectacular animation galvanized the fighters and made more than one onlooker smile. It is Bois-Colombes who will win in the end, but each will leave with a medal.

The animation continued with 2 simultaneous given by Axel Delorme and Maitre Fide Féminine Anaëlle Afraoui, French university champion: 1 player plays simultaneously against ten players, with a rotation. Under the blazing sun and the not yet scorching heat, our 2 simultaneous players (and the host) courageously faced their opponents to concede only one draw out of the sixty games played.

An award ceremony outside crowned the Bois-Colombiens winners and rewarded the participants of the event.

This first edition of the Clichy International Chess Festival, also included in the events of the Fête du Sport and Olympic Day, is therefore a great success and constitutes an ideal gateway for the 500 children we train each year in the schools in Clichy.

The 2 days took place in a very good spirit and without any refereeing incident.

So thank you to all those involved in this Festival: players, guides, parents, who helped us a lot, referees, animators, commentators, the very smiling people from the bar, and of course the organizing committee.

Thank you also to the personalities who came either on Saturday or Sunday: Mr. Henri Charlot, President of the OMSPA, Mrs. Véronique d'Astorg, City Councilor in charge of Sport (who launched the first round), Mrs. Catherine Jarry- Sporrer, Director of Sports in Clichy, Mr. Philippe Gérard, representative of Sport at the DDCS.

Thank you also to the staff of the town hall, efficient and smiling.

And thanks above all to Clichy-Mécénat and the City of Clichy for allowing us to organize this first International Chess Festival under such good conditions.

Isabelle BONVALOT

President of Clichy-Echecs-92