Joël Lautier
Joël Lautier is a French chess grandmaster and FIDE Senior Trainer. He is a two-time French Chess Champion.Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada in 1973, Lautier first major success came in 1986, when he won the World Under-14 Championship. He earned his international master title in 1988, also winning the World Junior Chess Championship that year. He was awarded his grandmaster title in 1990. He won the French Chess Championships in 2004 and 2005. He competed in the Chess World Cup 2005, where he was eliminated in the fourth round by Étienne Bacrot.
Lautier is one of the founders of the Association of Chess Professionals, and served as its president from 2004 to 2005.As of 2009, Lautier no longer classifies himself as a chess professional, but as a businessman working in Russia. He speaks fluent Russian.
Now divorced, he was married to Woman Grandmaster Almira Skripchenko from 1997 to 2002.
