World Women's Team Championship in Chengdu

The city of Chengdu in China is hosting the Women's World Chess Team Championship from April 18th to 28. The organizers are Chinese Chess Association, FIDE World Chess Federation, with the support of Board and Card Administrative Center of General Administration of Sport of China and Chengdu Municipal Government.

The best teams of the world will participate in the coming championship, among which the previous event's Women’s World Team Champion, the three highest-placed teams in the FIDE Olympiad prior to the event, the four Continental Champions, a team from the organizing federation, a team to be nominated by FIDE President. The ten countries are: China, Russia, Ukraine, USA, India, Poland, Armenia, Georgia, Egypt and Kazakhstan. Every team consists of five players and the team-winner will be determined in a round-robin event after 9 rounds. Time control is 90 minutes per 40 moves and thirty minutes until the end of the game plus 30 seconds increment per move.

This year's participants are Kazakhstan, India, China, USA, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Poland and Egypt.

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Women's World Chess Team Championship 2015 took place in the hall of the Wang Jiang Hotel on the 18th of April. The ceremony was attended by Vice Mayor of Chengdu Government, Mr. Fu.Yonglin, the director of Chengdu sports bureau, Ms.Tan Xuejun, Deputy Director of Chengdu Sports Bureau, Mr. Gao Wei, General secretary of CCA, Mr. Ye Jiangchuan, FIDE Vice President and Chairman of Appeals Committee, D.V. Sundar, President of Georgian Chess Federation and member of Appeals Commitee, Giya Giorgadze, players, captains and other guests.

The Ukrainian team includes the reigning World Champion Mariya Muzychuk

The drawing of lots was done by each team sending a representative to pick up their panda!
As we noted in previous reports, Pandas are a big deal in Chengdu.

The Georgian team came in uniform

The young team of Kazakhstan

Russia isn't kidding around! The team of seconds: GMs Riazantsev, Rublevsky and Najer.

World Champion Mariya Muzychuk picking her panda

China's representative: Ju Wenjun

Number six for China

Bela Khotenashvili with number four for Georgia

Young prodigy Zhansaya Abdumalik with number one for Kazakhstan.
Chief arbiter Panagiotis Nikolopoulos takes note.

America's board one Tatev Abrahamyan

General secretary of the Chinese Chess Association, Ye Jiangchuan, officially opened the tournament!

Left to right: Zhansaya Abdumalik, Guliskhan Nakhbayeva, Madina Davletbayeva, Gulmira Dauletova and Dinara Saduakassova

Kazakhstan had strong team training the past week. 

Left to right: Alisa Melekhina, Sabina-Francesca Foisor, Katerina Nemcova, Tatev Abrahamyan, Viktorija Ni

The American Team comes from playing the strong U.S. Women's Champion. The winner of this tournament is absent as she felt that playing the World Women's Championship, the U.S. Women's Championship and then this trip to Chengdu would be too much.

The Chinese team is missing a few stars, (Hou Yifan, Zhao Xue) but it is still one of the favorites.

Schedule

Round 1 - April 19, 15:00 Beijing

Round 2 - April 20, 15:00 Beijing

Round 3 - April 21, 15:00 Beijing

Round 4 - April 22, 15:00 Beijing

Round 5 - April 23, 15:00 Beijing

Round 6 - April 25, 15:00 Beijing

Round 7 - April 26, 15:00 Beijing

Round 8 - April 27, 15:00 Beijing

Round 9 - April 28, 11:00 Beijing

Links Official tournament site The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.