My Experience at the 2023 Women’s World Team Championship

The 2023 Women’s World Team Championship was hosted in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The format was as such: Twelve teams were divided into two pools (Pool A and Pool B), with the Pool Stage being played in a round robin format. From this, two teams were eliminated from each pool, so there were eight teams left in total. Then, the knockout stage was played, with pairings decided based on standings from the Pool Stage. A rapid time control of 45+10 was implemented, and four people per team were to play against each other in a match.

Arrival + Pool Stage

It was my first time playing in such a prestigious tournament on the world stage. It was also the first time I traveled to Europe! As a team tournament, this was a bit different (in a good way!) compared to what I had experienced previously. I was playing for the USA team.

The US Team (from left to right): IM Annie Wang, me, WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, IM Anna Zatonskih, and Coach GM Melikset Khachiyan

After two flights totaling 11 hours, a math problem involving how to stack our luggage and shuffle around to fit the maximum number of people on an airport bus, customs, and a three-hour shuttle, my mom and I arrived at the hotel where the tournament site was.

The hotel was nice, and the hospitality was good. Our room had a balcony, and we were able to get some light from the outside which was good since we couldn’t figure out how to turn on the lights (we did figure it out eventually). We arrived a few hours before the opening ceremony, so we ate the provided dinner and met up with the team. The drawing of lots occurred at the opening ceremony, and we found out the team pairings there.

The area where the tournament was being held was very nice. There was a river nearby that was extremely pretty.

River near tournament site 

There was a seven-hour time difference that induced some jet lag, so it took me three hours to fall asleep and I ended up waking up after two hours of sleep at 4 am. I went to breakfast at 7 am, and the breakfast was extremely good. It was the best breakfast I’ve ever had.

I did end up getting an hour of sleep before the game (which started at 3 pm), and I woke up at 2:30 pm. Around that time, the pairings came out. I was playing board 1 for the USA, and I was white against GM Elisabeth Paehtz. It was a long but relatively equal game where I managed to hold a draw. As Anna won on board 2, the USA won 2.5-1.5.

In round 2, we were playing Bulgaria. I was black against the former Women’s World Champion, GM Antoaneta Stefanova. After I built a nice time advantage and a slightly better position, we reached an endgame where she made a mistake that I was able to capitalize on and win. Our team won the match 4-0.

 

The next day, we were playing the FIDE Americas and China respectively. In round 3, I was white against IM Lisandra Ordaz Valdes. I won after winning a pawn in a slightly better endgame, and we ended up tying the match 2-2. In round 4, I was black against IM-elect Yuxin Song. In a similar fashion to round 3, I won a pawn, an easier position to play, and then the game. With the last game being an incredibly nerve-wracking game on board 3, Annie was able to win against WIM Kaiyu Ning, so we won the match.

In the final round of the pool stage, we were playing Poland. I was black vs IM Oliwia Kiolbasa. After an incredibly interesting endgame, I lost.

Surprisingly, this endgame is a draw. How should black play?

While our team did lose 1.5-2.5, we still clinched 1st seed for Pool B with our result.

Because there was only one round for that day, we got some extra time to walk around in the areas nearby. We went to one of the restaurants in the square. There were a lot of pigeons.

Pigeons in the square

Knockout Stage

As the 1st seed from Pool B, we were playing the 4th seed from Pool A. This turned out to be Ukraine. They qualified after tying in a very interesting match against France in the final round of the pool stage. We were to play two matches against them, and whoever won advanced to the next round. If tied after two matches, we would have a blitz playoff to determine which team would advance.

This was arguably the most important day in terms of not getting eliminated. I got eight hours of sleep, prepared well, and drank three cups of decaf latte macchiatos at breakfast.

For both matches, I was playing against another former Women’s World Champion, GM Anna Ushenina. In the first game, I was black. I had a slightly worse position throughout the game, but I drew in a chaotic ending that eventually got down to rook+bishop vs rook (I had the rook). We won the first match 2.5-1.5 due to Tatev and Atousa winning on boards 2 and 4 respectively.

Tatev had an extremely nice end position in her game. In the second game, I drew while Tatev and Atousa both won again, making the match score 2.5-1.5. We were one of the four teams to advance, along with Kazakhstan, France, and Georgia.

The next day, we were playing Georgia. For both games, I was playing GM Bella Khotenashvili. I got a nice position out of the opening in the first game when I was white, and I was able to win from there.

White to play. What can white do to force a win?

Our team did end up losing 1.5-2.5, but it was definitely close. In the second match, I drew my game and we were able to win a tense match (2.5-1.5) thanks to Annie’s win on board 3. We went into blitz tiebreaks, and while we did end up losing, the next round was also important since our team was playing for bronze and also individual medals.

The next day was the last day. I was sad, especially since it was the last time that I’d have the hotel breakfast. I was playing IM Deimante Daulyte-Cornette for both games. The first game, I was white. I blundered a pawn, but I was able to complicate things so she made a mistake in time pressure and I won.