Sophie Milliet
Encyclopedia
Sophie Milliet is a French chess
player and the current national women's champion.
She was raised in the French town of Castelnau-le-Lez
and learned to play chess at the age of four. Her endeavours at junior level showed good promise and catapulted her Elo rating over the 2100 mark by the time she was seventeen years of age. Consequently, she played top board for the French Girls team at the Faber Cup in Dublin in 2000 and contributed to winning the event.
However, it was at Aix-les-Bains
in 2003 that she showed her greatest progress, winning the French Women's Championship
with 9/11, an impressive 1½ points clear of the field. The result sealed her qualification for the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title, awarded the same year. At the 2004 event, she came close to repeating her previous success, for a while leading the competition in Val d'Isère
and eventually taking second place behind Almira Skripchenko
. Due to the strength of this contest, she gained many rating points.
In 2006, she made a foray to the Swiss Open Championship in Lenzerheide
and placed a creditable third. Competing at the Baku
2007 Women's International she faced a tough test, losing her first 3 games, then resourcefully climbing back to 4/9 in what was a first class line-up. Pia Cramling
was just one notable scalp along the way.
The French championship returned to Aix-les-Bains in 2007 and once again she finished in first place, this time on equal points with Silvia Collas. A rapidplay play-off was used to determine the champion and Milliet narrowly missed out. At Pau in 2008, she claimed a second triumph in the French Women's Championship. At Nîmes
in 2009 she won her third title with the score of 7/10 (+5=4-1).
A keen exponent of team chess, she represented France in the Chess Olympiad
s of 2004 and 2006, notching up a healthy, cumulative plus score of +11, =6, -4. She also participated at the European Team Championship
s of 2003, 2005 and 2007. As a player of league chess, she is extremely active and has participated in the French Nationale for three teams; Bischwiller
, Clichy
and latterly, Montpellier
. Between 2003 and 2005 she was a frequent visitor to the German Women's Bundesliga
and in respect of the UK's 4NCL
, has occasionally appeared for the largely female-populated Pride and Prejudice team in 2007/08.
She was awarded the International Master title in March 2009, in respect of norms earned at the French Club Championship (2005), the Swiss Championship at Lenzerheide (2006) and the Béthune
Open (2008).
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player and the current national women's champion.
She was raised in the French town of Castelnau-le-Lez
Castelnau-le-Lez
Castelnau-le-Lez is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-References:*...
and learned to play chess at the age of four. Her endeavours at junior level showed good promise and catapulted her Elo rating over the 2100 mark by the time she was seventeen years of age. Consequently, she played top board for the French Girls team at the Faber Cup in Dublin in 2000 and contributed to winning the event.
However, it was at Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated on the shore of Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-Geography:...
in 2003 that she showed her greatest progress, winning the French Women's Championship
French Chess Championship
The French Chess Championship is the annual, national chess tournament of France. It was officially first played in 1923after the formation of the Fédération Française des Echecs in 1921. The first unofficial national tournament was played in 1880, in the Café de la Régence, where further edition...
with 9/11, an impressive 1½ points clear of the field. The result sealed her qualification for the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title, awarded the same year. At the 2004 event, she came close to repeating her previous success, for a while leading the competition in Val d'Isère
Val d'Isère
Val d'Isère is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department in south-eastern France. It lies from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise National Park created in 1963. The Face de Bellevarde was the scene of the men's downhill race as part of the 1992 Winter...
and eventually taking second place behind Almira Skripchenko
Almira Skripchenko
Almira Skripchenko is a French chess player who has achieved the FIDE International Master and Woman Grandmaster titles...
. Due to the strength of this contest, she gained many rating points.
In 2006, she made a foray to the Swiss Open Championship in Lenzerheide
Lenzerheide
Lenzerheide is a mountain resort in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It lies at the foot of the Parpaner Rothorn. The village belongs to the municipality Vaz/Obervaz in the district of Albula, sub-district Alvaschein....
and placed a creditable third. Competing at the Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
2007 Women's International she faced a tough test, losing her first 3 games, then resourcefully climbing back to 4/9 in what was a first class line-up. Pia Cramling
Pia Cramling
Pia Cramling is a Swedish chess grandmaster. Since the early 1980s, she has been one of the strongest female players in the world....
was just one notable scalp along the way.
The French championship returned to Aix-les-Bains in 2007 and once again she finished in first place, this time on equal points with Silvia Collas. A rapidplay play-off was used to determine the champion and Milliet narrowly missed out. At Pau in 2008, she claimed a second triumph in the French Women's Championship. At Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
in 2009 she won her third title with the score of 7/10 (+5=4-1).
A keen exponent of team chess, she represented France in the Chess Olympiad
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
s of 2004 and 2006, notching up a healthy, cumulative plus score of +11, =6, -4. She also participated at the European Team Championship
European Team Championship
The European Team Championship is an international team chess event, eligible for the participation of European nations whose chess federations are located in zones 1.1 to 1.9...
s of 2003, 2005 and 2007. As a player of league chess, she is extremely active and has participated in the French Nationale for three teams; Bischwiller
Bischwiller
Bischwiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France just west of the Moder River.The city is located southeast of Haguenau, west-northwest from the German border and the Rhine River , and lies north-northeast of Strasbourg.-Notable people:* Henri Baumer, master...
, Clichy
Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine
-Administration:The canton covers a part of the commune; the other is in the northern part of Levallois-Perret-Twinnings: Heidenheim, Germany, since 1959 Sankt Pölten, Austria, since 1968 Santo Tirso, Portugal, since 1991 Rubí, Spain, since 2005 Southwark, United Kingdom, since 2005Clichy has also...
and latterly, Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
. Between 2003 and 2005 she was a frequent visitor to the German Women's Bundesliga
Chess Bundesliga
The term Chess Bundesliga , normally refers to the premier league of team chess in Germany. It is arguably the strongest and longest running league of its kind, attracting many top grandmasters from Europe and beyond....
and in respect of the UK's 4NCL
4NCL
4NCL is an acronym, standing for Four Nations Chess League; the four nations being England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The league is however truly international, with players from as many as 27 different countries taking part....
, has occasionally appeared for the largely female-populated Pride and Prejudice team in 2007/08.
She was awarded the International Master title in March 2009, in respect of norms earned at the French Club Championship (2005), the Swiss Championship at Lenzerheide (2006) and the Béthune
Béthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
Open (2008).