2023 FIDE World Women's Team Championship Kicks Off

The 2023 FIDE World Women's Team Championship begins today, September 6, in Bydzosgcz, Poland, with teams representing 12 federations competing over the six-day rapid event.

The format of the team championship — which is similar to previous World Team Championships — begins with the teams divided into two groups of six. Each team plays the other five teams in its group, with the top four teams from each group advancing to single elimination matches in the quarterfinals. The group stages will take place over three days, with the knockout matches taking place September 9-11. September 11 will also feature a third-place match. 

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Members of Team USA at the opening ceremony (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

Team USA enters the tournament as the highest rated team in Group B, led by FM Alice Lee and IM Anna Zatonskih. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, IM Annie Wang, and WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan round out the roster. This will be Pourkashiyan's first championship representing the U.S. 

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Coach GM Melikset Khachiyan at the drawing of lots during the opening ceremony (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

Group B also features a promising young team from China, a German team led by GM Elisabeth Paehtz, and a Bulgarian team led by former Women's World Champion GM Antoaneta Stefanova. With four players playing each round, it will be interesting to see what decisions coach GM Melikset Khachiyan makes in upcoming rounds. 

All matches will be played at the time control of 45-minutes per player with ten-second increment beginning from move one. Tiebreaks (in knockout matches) will be played at the blitz time control of three-minutes per-player with two-second increments.

A new look for WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

The anticipated encounter between German GM Elisabeth Paehtz and FM Alice Lee ended peacefully (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan is representing the U.S. in an international match for the first time (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

At the time of writing, USA already defeated Germany in the first match of their group stage thanks to Zatonskih's win over up-and-coming WGM Dinara Wagner.

Live commentary can be followed here, with games broadcast on Chess.com. Round two of the group stages begins at 11 a.m. CDT, with play resuming Thursday, September 7, at 8 a.m. CDT.