Linares: Russia and Georgia lead

The Women’s World Team Championship opened in Linares with two rounds played across a busy first day, as the twelve teams began their round-robin campaigns in the event’s group stage. Early leaders emerged in both pools, with the FIDE team (Russia) taking a clear advantage in Pool A, while China and Georgia set the pace in Pool B. A number of key results, including India’s unexpected win over Ukraine, shaped the early standings. | Pictured: Georgia’s Bela Khotenashvili | Photo: Pavel Dvorkovich