Étienne Bacrot - French Chess Champion

Étienne Bacrot (born January 22, 1983 in Picardie, France) is a French chessgrandmaster.

Etienne was born in Lille on the 22nd of January 1983. He discovered chess at the age of four while watching an Italian uncle playing. The 64 squares of the chessboard thus became his world. His first chess club, at the age of 6 was in Albert, and later on Amiens, before joining Cannes in the first division and now Paris. 

In youth circles, he became European champion (Zombathely 1993) and later that year World under 10 champion in Bratislava. In Sao Laurenzo in Brazil 1995 he was victorious in the World under 12 championship. He added a third World title in Disneyland Paris 1995, this time at rapid chess.

At the age of 12 he was already an International Master, and was competing on level terms with professionals in France. He came further into the public eye when he qualified for the PCA Intel Grand Prix in Paris where he distinguished himself amongst the world's elite. In March 1997, under the auspices of his trainer Iossif Dorman, he became the youngest ever grandmaster at the age of 14 years and two months.

In 1999, he took the crown of French Champion, a title he went on to win five times consecutively.

Won the 2008 French Championship.