French Grandmaster (1989). Kouatly was born in Syria, however, he started to play chess in Lebanon and later immigrated to France to finish a graduate degree in Political Science and an MA in Energy Economics.
Kouatly was the first French and Arab Grandmaster, French Champion in 1979 and French U20 Champion in 1977. He is the President of the French chess federation since 2016.
Kouatly was the organizer of the Lyon World Championship 1990 and the FIDE Deputy President from 1995 to 1996.
Best results: Teheran Zonal 1975, 3rd; Sharjah Zonal 1981, 1st; Val Thorens Open 1985, 1st; Kolhapur 1987, 1st; Budapest II 1987, 1st and Augsburg 1989, 1st.
A participant in the 1982 Toluca Interzonal (14) and a member of the team of Lyon, which won the European Club Cup in 1993 and 1994. He has also participated in the 1980 Olympiad with Lebanon and then between 1982 and 1988 and in 1992 under the French flag.
The author of Disney Chessbook with Anatoly Karpov and is also the chief editor of the French magazine Europe Echecs since 1997.
French Grandmaster (1989). Kouatly was born in Syria, however, he started to play chess in Lebanon and later immigrated to France to finish a graduate degree in Political Science and an MA in Energy Economics.