The 1st Women's World Team Championship took place in Ekaterinburg (Russia) from 19th-30th May, with participation of 10 national teams from four continents. The list included Vera Menchik Cup holders Ukraine, as well as multiple gold medal winners China. All in all the event drew 17 GMs, 23 IMs and 4 FMs. Top rated teams were China (2455), Georgia (2454), Russia (2449) and Ukraine (2444). Most of World's top players arrived to Ekaterinburg, although some major teams (USA, Hungary) did not appear.

Chine were so dominant that they came beyond anyone else's reach in a race for gold still with last round to go. They edged Russia by full 6½ points, while Ukraine grabbed gold at 22½ points. Second seeds Georgia finished at disappointing fourth.


Not only did the Chinese win every match but one, but they won most of them heavily including three 4-0's against Botswana, Poland, and, somewhat incredibly, Russia.

Playing on board two below Zhao Xue, 13-year-old Hou Yifan made 7½/9 to take gold medal at board 2. Other individual medal winners were Zhao Xue, Inna Gaponenko (Ukraine), Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (Russia - she also won best rating performance prize) and Marta Przezdziecka of Poland.

See championship's official home page
See championship's home page at olimpbase.org