FIDE world women’s team championship: Russia beats India, regains world women team chess title

Favourite Russia stopped India 2-0 to regain the FIDE World women team chess title at Sitges, Spain, on Saturday. For the fourth seed India, the silver is the first medal in this premier team championship.

Russia, champion in 2017, had it easy in the second set after winning the first 2.5-1.5. Draws on the top two boards was all India managed as the Russians scored off Tania  Sachdev and Mary Ann Gomes for a comprehensive 3-1 victory.

Favourite Russia stopped India 2-0 to regain the FIDE World women team chess title at Sitges, Spain, on Saturday. For the fourth seed India, the silver is the first medal in this premier team championship.

Russia, champion in 2017, had it easy in the second set after winning the first 2.5-1.5. Draws on the top two boards was all India managed as the Russians scored off Tania  Sachdev and Mary Ann Gomes for a comprehensive 3-1 victory.

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Earlier, in the first set, former world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated young R. Vaishali on the second board but Harika stunned Aleksandra Goryachkina to draw level. Bhakti suffered her third straight loss in as many games in the knockout phase. Mary drew after failing to translate her superiority into a match-levelling victory.

The results (final): Set 1: Russia bt India 2.5-1.5 (Aleksandra Goryachkina lost to D. Harika; Alexandra Kosteniuk bt R. Vaishali; Kateryna Lagno bt Bhakti Kulkarni; Alina Kashlinskaya drew with Mary Ann Gomes). Set 2: India lost to Russia 1-3 (Harika drew with Goryachkina; Vaishali drew with Kosteniuk; Tania Sachdev lost to Lagno; Mary lost to Alina Kashlinskaya).