Iranian GM Idani Switches To France: 'I Felt Forced Into It'

GM Pouya Idani, until now Iran’s third-highest-rated player, has officially transferred to France three years after moving to Brest with his wife. The 30-year-old joins GM Alireza Firouzja and WGM Mitra Hejazipour among the prominent Iranian-born players representing France. Iran’s top-two players, GMs Amin Tabatabaei and Parham Maghsoodloo, have also been based in France for a while, but continue to represent Iran.

[Editor's note September 2: This story was updated with comments from the French Chess Federation, correcting previous reporting about payment of the €3,500 transfer fee]

Idani's federation switch was confirmed by FIDE last week, and the 2615-rated grandmaster is now France's new number four, per FIDE's September list, behind GMs Firouzja, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Etienne Bacrot.

Idani told Chess.com in an interview that his decision reflected the life he has built in France, but said broken promises and unpaid bonuses from the Iranian Chess Federation were a contributing factor in the move.

"I don’t think anybody, at the beginning, wants to change his federation," Idani said. "However, a lot of stuff happened in the past few years. There were promises by the federation that were not fulfilled, bonuses that were not given etc. So, in the end, I feel I was forced into it."

There were promises by the federation that were not fulfilled, bonuses that were not given, etc. So, in the end, I feel I was forced into it.
—Pouya Idani

The 30-year-old reached a career-high of 2647, making him one of Iran's three highest-rated players in the last decade. In 2013, he won the World Under-18 Championship, and he achieved the grandmaster title the following year.

Together with Tabatabaei, Maghsoodloo, 20-year-old rising star GM Bardiya Daneshvar, and IM Amirreza Pour Agha Bala, Idani was part of the Iranian team that won the 2023 Asian Games.

His move to France came in part as a result of wanting to build a better future for himself and his family. Idani moved to Brest with his wife in April 2023 and their daughter was born shortly afterward.

"My wife applied for university and got accepted here in Brest, and it also felt better for my career to be in Europe," he said. "It is easier to get invitations to different leagues and easier to play in open tournaments."

He currently holds a French residence permit and plans to apply for citizenship when he becomes eligible. "I am planning to stay in France and I am happy to represent a country I am going to live in," he said. "If they need help in any way, I will do my best with that."

I am planning to stay in France and I am happy to represent a country I am going to live in.
—Pouya Idani

In an email to Chess.com, The French Chess Federation (FFE) confirmed that Idani’s transfer has been registered by FIDE and that he now holds the FRA federation code. However, they clarified that they have not paid the €3,500 transfer fee, which means that his eligibility date is December 31, 2027.

Under FIDE regulations, when a player continues to represent his former federation after moving abroad, the residency period used to determine eligibility begins the day after his last such appearance. That explains why Idani’s eligibility period did not begin when he physically moved to France in April 2023.

The FFE also stressed that it had not actively recruited Idani or the other Iranian players who have settled in France.

“The fact that players of this calibre choose to settle in France reflects the attractiveness of our country,” the federation told Chess.com. “We can also see it as recognition of the current momentum of chess in France and of the work carried out by the Federation to support its development.”

"I am happy that they accepted me to represent them and helped me through the process. Everything happened without any problem."

The move was assisted by Reza Salami, an Iranian-born French politician and city councilor in Brest who has long been involved in the city’s chess scene. Idani explained the two first met when he played for Brest in the second division of the French League in 2019.

"Mr. Salami invited me, and ever since then we have been very good friends," Idani said. "However, since my wife got accepted in Brest, it was just a happy accident to come here! Immigration is tough, and it was nice to have a friend to help us."

Brest has become a key destination for Iranian chess players in France. Hejazipour settled there after competing for Iran without a headscarf at the 2019 World Rapid and Blitz Championship. This year, the port city in northwestern France also saw the arrival of Iran's two top grandmasters. Tabatabaei, now world number-15, and world number-31, Maghsoodloo, have been assisted by Salami in trying to settle in France.

"They were participating in a tournament in Europe and couldn't return home because of the conflict. So they contacted me," Salami told French newspaper Paris Match.

However, Tabatabaei was refused a residence permit and was asked to leave the country within one month. Salami said the decision would be challenged, and Tabatabaei remains in the country, according to Chess.com's sources. Maghsoodloo, who arrived in France with his wife, has an application still pending, according to Paris Match.

Neither player has publicly indicated that they intend to change federations, and Tabatabaei is listed on Iran's team at the Olympiad. Nevertheless, it represents a significant loss for an impressive generation of Iranian players who established the country as one of Asia’s strongest chess nations.

The FFE said it had no information about any residence permit applications submitted by Tabatabaei or Maghsoodloo, noting that immigration matters fall under the responsibility of the French authorities.

On the state of Iranian chess, Idani told Chess.com: "It is quite sad because I feel we are—or, better to say, were—one of the very strong and promising countries in the world. We even managed to win the Asian Games ahead of Uzbekistan and India. Hopefully things will get better in all aspects, but I am really unsure about it."

Idani has played less in recent years, but insists he still sees himself primarily as a competitor.

"My peak was around 2650 in 2022," he said. "Now I am less active compared to that time. I started doing more coaching and also collaborating with different websites for chess courses."

He is hopeful that transferring to France can give his career a boost. "I am still quite ambitious and consider myself more as a player, not a coach. If the circumstances and situation get better, I believe I can reach my peak again and go beyond that."

Idani is planning to play several open tournaments in the fall, but mentioned the Grand Swiss, World Rapid and Blitz Championships, and his first European Individual Championship under the French flag as his main targets.

"I do believe living in Europe will make things such as choosing tournaments and traveling easier," he said. "The facilities and opportunities here are also better compared to Iran."

Living in Europe will make things such as choosing tournaments and traveling easier.
—Pouya Idani

"I am quite excited to play the European Championship because I feel it is a rare occasion for someone originally from Asia to play there. Let’s see what happens!"