This May chess24 is adding French to the existing English, German and Spanish versions of the site, as we look to expand our offering in the light of the merger with Play Magnus. Grandmaster Laurent Fressinet will be spearheading the new project, which involves not only gradually completing the translation of the interface but also offering all-new advanced content from some of the best French players and coaches.

Grandmaster Laurent Fressinet, a member of World Champion Magnus Carlsen’s team from his 2013 match against Vishy Anand onwards, will bring a “French touch” to chess24. French Champion in 2010 and 2014, a member of the French team from his earliest days onwards, Laurent will bring all his experience of competition and training, consummate knowledge of the chess world and, above all, a passion for chess.

The French version of chess24 has the ambition to offer comprehensive and wide-ranging content right from the outset. The impressive video series library in English, German and Spanish will be supplemented with contributions by leading French grandmasters. Laurent has already produced videos in English.

Romain Edouard will inaugurate the new French-language content with a series, appropriately enough, on the French Defence! He offered a sneak preview in the recent European Championship:

As well as targeting competitive chess players, chess24 France will also later this year be preparing a unique collection of videos for all those, young or less young, who would like to grasp the essential knowledge required to start playing chess. Producing that learning material will be entrusted to some of France’s best coaches, with the catalogue eventually comprising over fifty hours of video and more than a hundred lessons. It will be updated regularly throughout the year.

In addition to a popular Playzone and keeping you up-to-date with French tournament coverage in news and on social media, the French version of chess24 will also offer entertaining and informative live shows. A weekly talk show is planned, and the site will offer regular live and interactive training sessions devoted to openings, where you can ask any question you want of Laurent Fressinet.

There will be more of the renowned Banter Blitz sessions, with Laurent Fressinet often taking on chess24 users, while Magnus Carlsen will himself play from time to time, providing the extraordinary opportunity for Premium members to face the World Champion.

chess24 will be providing live commentary in French on many of the year’s major events, including the Grand Chess Tour series and tournaments such as Norway Chess. Our team will feature a formidable and original duo.

International Master Jean-Baptiste Mullon, a highly regarded coach of young talents and the voice of instructive commentary in French for over ten years, will be joined by Grand Master Iossif Dorfman.

The French Grandmaster is a world-renowned coach. His passion for the game and sense of humour are matched only by his expertise, which is still at the level of the current elite grandmasters. During the last Shamkir Chess tournament Alexander Grischuk even named Iossif Dorfman’s The Method in Chess as the book that had most fascinated him during his career. Iossif, a Soviet then French Champion, a second of Garry Kasparov during his legendary duels against Anatoly Karpov and the coach of Etienne Bacrot, will also produce a video series on his method. This technical gem is guaranteed to appeal to all chess fans, and especially those who can no longer acquire his book as it’s long been sold out.

The first major event for our duo will start on June 3rd, with full coverage of Altibox Norway Chess, the strongest tournament of the year. World Champion Magnus Carlsen will there meet French star Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, with chess24 France closely following the French no. 1’s attempts this year to qualify for a World Championship match in 2020.

Before that the chess24 France team gave a commentary preview by covering the final round of the GRENKE Chess Classic. Admittedly the key Carlsen vs. Vachier-Lagrave clash could have gone better for the French star!

To become part of the chess24 adventure and get full access to all the benefits of the site you need to become a Premium member! As a special welcome gift, we’re offering a 30% discount for a month on your first Premium subscription when you use the voucher code, FRANCE.