
Duel Of Nations! Episode 3 - England vs. France
Hello again!
Welcome to the third episode of the series Duel Of Nations! Surprisingly, this content has been more successful than I expected. Thank you for your support, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. But for first-time travelers, let me explain how it works. The idea is to make a comparison between the two nations in terms of chess strength. The matches consist of players representing them in four different categories:
PAST
PRESENT
FUTURE
WOMEN
It may be repetitive, but I would like to remind everyone of some basic rules that are used to determine the match of the day:
A) The duels do not include any countries that I have already discussed in my series "Chess Where I Lived" (New Zealand, Germany, Brazil, Spain, and the USA).
B) I choose opponents of at least a similar level, so don’t expect anything like Russia vs. Marshall Islands, with all due respect.
C) Duels involving political conflicts beyond the game are avoided. Examples: Russia vs. Ukraine, Iran vs. Israel, or Armenia vs. Azerbaijan. Although they might be interesting from a chess point of view, they could trigger unnecessary discussions that I prefer not to deal with.
The third episode is a classic European rivalry involving two countries that have always had great players and undeniable importance in chess history. Although living in peace today, England and France have had many armed conflicts, the most famous of which was the Hundred Years' War between 1337 and 1453, which introduced the figure of Joan of Arc.
Today they can be considered friends, but the rivalry, especially in sports, is still strong. Both met in the quarter-finals of the last Football World Cup, with the French winning 2-1. I was rooting for England, but well, anyone who starts a game with Harry Maguire deserves to lose.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Past
2. Present
3. Future
4. Women
5. Conclusion
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PAST
Representing England is Howard Staunton, one of the strongest players in the mid-19th century and former unofficial world champion.
Howard Staunton, born in April 1810 (the exact date of his birth is unknown), was an English chess master, generally regarded as the world's strongest player and therefore by many as the world champion from 1843 to 1851. This status is largely attributed to his victory in a match against Pierre de Saint-Amant in 1843.
His name is quite popular for promoting a chess set of clearly distinguishable pieces of standardized shape, known as the Staunton pattern, which is still the style required for competitions. He also analyzed many opening lines and helped to popularize the English Opening and the Staunton Gambit. His writings were much appreciated by strong players such as Wilhelm Steinitz.
Staunton was the main creator and organizer of the first international chess tournament in 1851, which established England as the world's leading center of the game. This event offered a substantial prize for the winner and also allowed the chess community to reach a consensus on who was the best player in the world. Adolf Anderssen won it and was recognized as the next unofficial World Champion. In that year, Staunton also gave up competitive chess.
In 1858, attempts were made to organize a match between him and the legendary Paul Morphy, but it never materialized, leading many to believe that he deliberately tried to avoid the match. Staunton died in London on 22 June 1874, aged 64.
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The French are represented by François-André Philidor, the best player of his age and one of the greatest chess writers of all time.
François-André Danican Philidor, born in Dreux on 7 September 1726, was a French composer and chess player, widely regarded as the best of his time. His book Analyse du jeu des Échecs was the standard chess manual for centuries. A very famous checkmate pattern and the Philidor Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6) are named after him.
The book was published in 1749. By 1871, it had gone through about 70 editions and translated into five languages. In it, Philidor analyses certain positions of rook and bishop against rook, draw techniques in rook endgames (known as the Philidor position), and gives detailed comments on how to play the middlegame, with concepts of the blockade, prophylaxis, positional sacrifice, etc.
He was the first to recognize the role of the pawn, with his famous quote "The pawns are the soul of chess".
My main purpose is to gain recognition for a new idea of which no one has conceived. That is the good play of the pawns. They are the soul of chess.
Brazilian GM Rafael Leitão considers him the greatest genius in history. Check it out here if you understand Portuguese. This opinion is based on the fact that he developed the game with few resources when chess was still crawling, and his book remains a classic, studied to this day.
Philidor died in London on 31 August 1795, aged 68.
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ROUND 1
This was a hard choice. Both players are true geniuses who certainly belong in the Chess Hall of Fame. But having to choose, I give the first point to France.
There are two main reasons for this. The first is that Philidor's legacy is, in my opinion, greater than Staunton's. He studied many difficult endgames, contributed a great deal to chess with his book, and even has a checkmate pattern named after him, whereas his opponent is more known for the piece styles.
Secondly, the French have other great names to unbalance this duel, such as Louis-Charles de La Bourdonnais, one of the first unofficial world champions, Pierre de Saint-Amant, who played Staunton in an unofficial world championship match, and Legall de Kermeur, whose name is eternalized in the famous Légal Trap. And do you know who has played this trap many times? My British honorable mention, Joseph Henry Blackburne.
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PRESENT
To represent England, the famous Chess.com commentator and the country's current top player, David Howell.
David Wei Liang Howell is an English chess grandmaster, columnist, and commentator. Born in Eastbourne on November 14, 1990, he has won the British Chess Championship three times (2009, 2013, and 2014) and holds the record for being the second youngest British player to achieve the GM title, which he did on January 5, 2007, at the age of 16.
Howell learned to play chess at the age of five and quickly became a very promising player, winning several British Championships in the U-8, U-9, and U-10 categories. His current ELO is 2673, but he peaked in September 2015 when he was ranked 36th in the world with a rating of 2712.
Some of his career highlights include becoming the youngest player to beat a GM in an official event when he defeated John Nunn in a blitz game at the age of eight. David was also the youngest ever to compete in a national chess championship, as a nine-year-old at the British Championship in 2000. A year later, in 2001, he became the youngest to beat a GM in classical time control, this time against Colin McNab.
Today, Howell remains one of the best players in England and is often ranked among the top 50 in the world. His face is well known to many chess fans as one of the commentators on this platform, commanding and participating in various streams of important events.
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France will be represented by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, former Candidates Tournament player and 2021 World Blitz Champion.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, born on October 21, 1990, is a French chess grandmaster and winner of the 2021 FIDE World Blitz Championship. With a peak rating of 2819, he is one of only 15 people in history to break the 2800 ELO barrier. This incredible feat makes him the seventh-highest-rated player ever.
Often referred to by his initials MVL, Vachier-Lagrave earned the title of Grandmaster in 2005 at the age of 14. In 2007, he won his first French Chess Championship, a title he would win again twice, in 2011 and 2012. He has also represented France in numerous Chess Olympiads and European Team Championships.
Other important achievements include winning the World Junior Chess Championship in 2009 and the prestigious Biel Grandmaster Tournament 5 times (2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016). He also won the Sinquefield Cup in 2017 and 2021, and competed in the 2020-21 Candidates Tournament, finishing in second place. Of course, there are many other great performances I could mention, but then I would need a whole blog just for his career.
Maxime is widely recognized as being very skilled at rapid and blitz chess, with a risky and brave style of play. However, in his prime, he was always among the best in the world in any time control. Although having lost some rating points recently, he is still well over 2700 and is considered a dangerous opponent for anyone.
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ROUND 2
A much easier decision this time. Although David Howell is a strong player who deserves a lot of respect, he has never come close to the incredible level of Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who was, and perhaps many can say still is, one of the elite players in chess for many years.
You might ask why I have not chosen players like Michael Adams or, more importantly, Nigel Short to represent England, but the answer is simple. Since the category is called Present, I preferred to include the one who is currently the most highly rated, while the other two could almost be considered players of the past if we look at their heyday.
And let us not forget that Alireza Firouzja, although not born there, plays under the French flag, so I think it is clear which of these countries has stronger representatives in 2025 and in recent years. Undeniably France.
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FUTURE
On the English side, we have Shreyas Royal, their most promising prodigy and the youngest British player to earn the GM title.
Shreyas Royal was born in Bangalore, India on 9 January 2009 and moved to Woolwich, England at the age of 3 when his father was offered a job there. He became a Grandmaster in August 2024, aged 15 years and 7 months, after finishing sixth in the British Chess Championship. This made him the youngest Englishman to earn the title, breaking the record of the aforementioned David Howell.
Some of his most significant career achievements include winning the 2017 European U8 Youth Chess Championship and finishing seventh out of 10 in the 2023 London Chess Classic, with a score of 4/9. This may not sound like a big deal, but he did this despite starting the tournament with the lowest rating of all participants by almost 200 points. This good performance gave him his second GM norm.
Royal participated in the FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 and finished the tournament with 4.5/11 points. Being rated 2407 at the time, his performance rating of 2574 was well above expectations. He won the first round against the higher-rated Spanish GM Jaime Santos Latasa (2650) and also defeated Vahap Şanal (2603) in round 7.
Of course, it is still too early to say or predict how far he can go, but Shreyas Royal is certainly England's best hope of having a player among the best in the world again in the future.
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The French team takes the field with 17-year-old Marc'Andria Maurizzi, one of their most outstanding young talents.
Marc'Andria Maurizzi, born in Bastia on May 16, 2007, is a French chess grandmaster and the 2023 World Junior Champion. He earned his GM title in 2021, a few days after his fourteenth birthday, becoming the youngest French player to achieve it and beating Etienne Bacrot's record by almost two months. Coincidentally, so did his rival in this duel, making it a clash of true record-breakers.
Considered a child prodigy from an early age, Maurizzi won the French Junior Championship in the U-12 category in 2019, and later secured the IM title in July of the same year, at the age of 12 years and two months. In 2023, he participated in the World Junior Chess Championship in Mexico City, where he was seeded fourth. After finishing the tournament undefeated and tied for first place with three other players with a score of 8.5/11, he ultimately won the title in the tiebreaks.
Maurizzi played in the Challengers section of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024. Despite a great start and having a full point lead after 11 rounds, he finished tied for second with Daniel Dardha and behind winner Leon Luke Mendonca.
He also represented France on board 3 at the 45th Chess Olympiad in September, where he scored 6/10. His current FIDE rating is 2579, with a peak ELO of 2620 reached in July last year, but his ceiling is certainly much higher.
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ROUND 3
Wow, not an easy one, especially considering they are not the same age. But trying to be neutral, I'd say France scores again. Marc'Andria Maurizzi is a very promising player who I firmly believe will soon be one of the elites. Only time will tell how far he can go, but his future is bright.
On the other side, I hope that Shreyas Royal will achieve great results and become a top player as well. However, looking at this duel through today's lens, his French rival is slightly ahead and seems to have more promising projections at the moment.
Their age difference is almost two years, so it is hard to be sure of anything, but from now on we can follow their careers and see if my predictions come true. So far, they have only met each other once on the board, and Maurizzi won playing with the white pieces.
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WOMEN
England goes with Mary Rudge, a historic player and winner of the first Women's Chess Congress in 1897.

Mary Rudge was born on February 6, 1842 in Leominster. Her father was a chess enthusiast and introduced the game to his older daughters, who later taught Mary. She was the first woman to become a member of the Bristol Chess Club, which did not admit ladies until 1872.
In 1897, Mary was the winner of the first international women's chess tournament, hosted by the Ladies' Chess Club of London. Many influential people agreed to sponsor the event and offer prizes, including Harry Nelson Pillsbury, a famous master of the time.
Rudge was the oldest of the 20 players and had considerably more experience than her rivals. She won it convincingly, with 18 wins and 1 draw, leading to her being called "the strongest lady chess player in the world". Other achievements include winning the Ladies' Challenge Cup at Cambridge in 1890 and the second class at the Southern Counties' Tournament at Clifton in 1896.
In 1898, Mary played against the world champion Emanuel Lasker in a simultaneous match. Lasker was unable to finish all the games, including hers. Therefore, he conceded defeat, as the position was lost with perfect play. Earlier, in 1872, she had also faced Joseph Henry Blackburne and Johannes Zukertort in simultaneous matches. In 1889, she became the first woman ever to give simultaneous chess exhibitions.
Mary Rudge died in London on November 22, 1919, aged 77. READ MORE.
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To represent them, France brings Marie Sebag, a two-time national women's chess champion and their best female player today.
Marie Rachel Sebag, born in Paris on October 15, 1986, is a French chess grandmaster. She is currently the highest-rated woman in the country with an ELO rating of 2448 (January 2025). Her peak was reached in March 2013, when she had a rating of 2537, making her the 8th best female player in the world.
She has won the French Women's Championship twice, in 2000 and 2002. Other successful moments in her career include winning the European Youth Chess Championship (Girls U-12) in 1998, which she repeated in 1999 (Girls U-14) and 2002 (Girls U-16). Sebag was also runner-up in the World Youth Chess Championship in the Girls U-18 category, after sharing first place with Jolanta Zawadzka, but losing to her in the tie-break.
When she was 16 years old, Marie shocked the national and world chess scenario by defeating 2600-rated GM Laurent Fressinet 2-0 in the semi-finals of the 2003 Grand Prix de Senat rapid event. Five years later, at the age of 21, she defeated FIDE World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov in a classic time control game.
In 2006, Marie Sebag reached the quarterfinals of the Women's World Chess Championship, where she lost to Svetlana Matveeva. Her Grandmaster title was achieved in May 2008, when she secured her third norm at the European Individual Chess Championship, becoming the first and so far, only French woman to hold the GM title.
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ROUND 4
Alright, another tough decision, but since the score is already 0-3, I will let England score their goal of honor and give them the point. Historically, I think they did more than France to develop and consolidate women in chess, and Mary Rudge is a great icon of that era, having won the first-ever championship.
Apart from her, other great British names include Louisa Matilda Fagan, who was runner-up in this same tournament, and Vera Menchik, one of the greatest female players of all time, who, although born in Russia and representing Czechoslovakia, played for England for a spell between 1938 and 1944.
Today their strongest player is Chess.com commentator Jovanka Houska, who is behind Marie Sebag in rating. However, since this section is to talk about the women's scenario as a whole, I have tried to look at its entire history rather than just the current top players.
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CONCLUSION
It is over! The match was perhaps less exciting than expected, as France dominated from the start and won convincingly! Once again, there is some room for disagreement, especially in the Past and Future categories. Still, I think my choices, while not easy, were less difficult to make than in the last duel between China and Hungary.
The French fans, always fanatical, are in total ecstasy and euphoria after beating their biggest rivals with such an amazing performance. Below you can see them celebrating in the streets. The British, on the other hand, showed their usual elegance and accepted the defeat like true gentlemen.
The celebration went on all night and could even be heard across the English Channel.
However, as I always like to emphasize, the most important thing is that you have learned more about chess in these two countries and their amazing players, who have certainly left a great legacy and will hopefully continue to shine and contribute to the development of our beloved game. I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and this series!
But I must remind you that, even though I have planned three episodes, there is always the possibility of more. Feel free to suggest other duels in the comments and I will kindly think about it. Also, if you notice that there is something important about both nations that I missed or failed to mention, please let me know as well!
One last clarification: Since February only has 28 days, I will make a small adjustment to my usual posting schedule and see you again on the 14th!