A chess open is a tournament open to all licence holders, with no selection, most often played as a Swiss. In France, a handful of week-long festivals, such as CapEchecs at Cap d'Agde or the Cappelle-la-Grande open (565 participants in 2026), bring beginners and grandmasters together over nine classical rounds.
Opens are the heart of amateur competition: you play opponents of your own level thanks to the Swiss system, you win rating points, and you sometimes cross paths with grandmasters who have come looking for points or norms. This page presents the major French events and their usual dates. Exact dates change every year: confirm them on the organiser's website and on the FFE calendar before registering.
The major chess opens in France
| Open | Location | Usual dates | Format and approval | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CapEchecs | Cap d'Agde (Hérault) | Late October (24 to 31 October 2026) | Four opens by level, 9 rounds, 1 h 30 + 30 s per move; three FIDE-rated tournaments and one casual tournament | All levels, including players without a licence for the casual tournament |
| Cappelle-la-Grande International Open | Nord | Late February (21 to 27 February 2026, 42nd edition) | 9-round open, FIDE-rated, followed by a rapid tournament | All levels; very many titled players |
| Avoine International Open | Indre-et-Loire | Late July (18 to 26 July 2026, 40th edition) | Swiss-system open | All levels |
| Dieppe International Festival | Seine-Maritime | Late August (22nd edition in 2026) | Several opens by level (in 2025: Grand Prix, Open B, Côte d'Albâtre Open) | All levels |
| Menton International Open | Alpes-Maritimes | October (18 to 25 October 2026, 23rd edition) | Classical open | All levels |
| Bischwiller International Open | Bas-Rhin | Late August (27 to 30 August 2026) | End-of-summer open | All levels |
| French Championship and its opens | A different city each year (Vichy in 2026) | August | Rating-band opens around the national finals | FFE licence holders |
CapEchecs, at Cap d'Agde
CapEchecs is one of the great chess festivals of France. The 2026 edition runs from 24 to 31 October at Cap d'Agde, with four opens at different levels, all over nine rounds at a time control of 1 h 30 + 30 seconds per move. Three of them, the Open de l'Avenir, the Cavalier tournament and the Grand Prix, are FIDE-rated and reserved for players holding a licence from a FIDE-affiliated federation, with the option of taking out the licence on site. The fourth, the Fil Rouge tournament, is aimed at amateurs, including those without a licence. The first round takes place on the Saturday afternoon and the last on the following Saturday morning.
The Cappelle-la-Grande open
Held every late winter near Dunkirk, the Cappelle-la-Grande International Open is renowned for its density of titled players. The 42nd edition, from 21 to 27 February 2026, drew 565 participants from 24 nations over nine rounds; Indian grandmaster Pranav Anand won it outright, unbeaten, with 7.5 points out of 9. A rapid tournament traditionally follows the open. The 2027 edition is announced for 27 February to 5 March.
The summer opens
Summer is the great season for opens, when clubs and families can free up a week. The Avoine International Open, in Touraine, celebrated its 40th edition from 18 to 26 July 2026; it is held every year in the second half of July. The Dieppe festival, in late August, offers several tournaments by level a stone's throw from the sea; in 2025 it included a “Duchesse de Berry” Grand Prix, an Open B “Les Vikings” and a Côte d'Albâtre open. In Brittany, Perros-Guirec hosted the fourth edition of its international open from 31 July to 3 August 2026, and the Bischwiller International Open, in Alsace, closes the season in late August.
Other opens have marked recent history: the Sautron International Open, near Nantes, was long a July fixture (its 20th edition, in 2022, was won by Maxime Lagarde), and the Cannes open was played every February, with a 36th edition in 2023; future world champion Gukesh Dommaraju won it in 2020, aged 13. Before planning a trip, check that the year's edition is actually scheduled.
Chess tournaments in Paris
Paris and the Île-de-France have a great many clubs, and therefore tournaments all year round: weekend rapids, club opens, team competitions. Among recent events, the Paris Île-de-France international youth chess festival was held from 2 to 6 March 2026, and Paris Plages hosted a chess area in August 2026 with four days of amateur knockout tournaments. For regular tournaments, the surest way is to consult the federal calendar or go through a Paris club.
A week at an open, round by round
Most week-long festivals follow the same rhythm: one round a day in classical play, often in the afternoon, sometimes with one day of two rounds. At CapEchecs in 2026, for example, the first round is played on Saturday 24 October at 3 p.m. and the ninth on the following Saturday at 9 a.m., to leave time for the prize-giving. The free mornings are used to prepare for the day's opponent, to go for a walk or to follow the side events: evening blitz, simultaneous exhibitions, youth tournaments.
For a first festival, three practical tips: check until what time you can check in on the first day; look in the regulations for the bye conditions if you have to miss a round; and prepare to last four to five hours at the board, since a game at 1 h 30 + 30 seconds per move can last well over three hours.
How to choose an open
| Criterion | What to look for in the regulations |
|---|---|
| Approval | FFE rapid Elo, FIDE standard, rapid or blitz; possibility of norms |
| Time control and rounds | One round a day or two? Nine rounds in a week, or five over a weekend? |
| Tournaments by level | A single open or several sections by rating (ideal for a first tournament) |
| Byes | Whether you can miss a round for half a point, and until when you can ask |
| Entry fees and prizes | Junior rate, prizes by rating band |
| Access | Licence required, licence available on site, casual tournament for players without a licence |
For a first tournament, an open divided into several sections by level is the most comfortable choice: you face players of similar strength from the very first round. How the pairings work is explained on the page about the Swiss system and tiebreaks, and the announced time control on the page about time controls in chess.
Where to find the opens calendar
The FFE calendar (the “Calendrier” section and the list of approved tournaments on echecs.asso.fr) lists tournaments across France, with their time control, their approval and a link to their regulations. The regional leagues and departmental committees also publish their own calendars. FIDE-rated opens count towards the international rating and, for the strongest, allow norms to be scored: see licence, approval and FIDE rating.
Clubs are often the best go-betweens: they organise group trips to the big festivals and know the opens in their region. The Le Palais des Échecs directory of chess clubs in France lets you find one near you, and its guide explains how to enter an open step by step. Above the opens, the chess championships award the official titles.
Frequently asked questions
What is a chess open?
It is a tournament open to all licence holders, with no selection, generally played as a Swiss: nobody is eliminated, and in every round each player meets an opponent on the same number of points.
When is CapEchecs held?
In late October at Cap d'Agde. The 2026 edition runs from 24 to 31 October, with four nine-round opens at a time control of 1 h 30 + 30 seconds per move.
Do you need a licence to play CapEchecs?
For the three FIDE-rated tournaments, yes: you must hold a licence from a FIDE-affiliated federation, and you can take out the licence on site. The Fil Rouge tournament is open to amateurs, including players without a licence.
Where can I find the list of chess tournaments in France?
On the FFE calendar (echecs.asso.fr), which lists approved tournaments with their time control and regulations, as well as on the websites of the regional leagues, departmental committees and organisers.