The FIDE World Women’s Team Championship 2025 will take place in Linares, Spain, from November 17 to 24, 2025. The event will bring together the world’s top national women’s teams, as they compete for the prestigious title of World Team Champion. The World Women’s Team Chess Championship 2025 will be one of the first events to use the Fast Classic time control, which is also part of the Total World Chess Championship 2026. Michael Rahal says, “The Women’s World Team Chess Championship, scheduled for November in Linares, will be played at a 45′ + 30 second time control, and will compute for standard ratings.” The tournament is a major event in The Chess Calendar and the Women Chess Calendar
The 2025 edition will feature 12 teams, including:
- The semi-finalists from the 2023 Championship: Georgia, France, Kazakhstan, and the USA
- The top-rated continental teams: China (Asia), Ukraine (Europe), Peru (Americas), and Algeria (Africa)
- India and the FIDE teams, based on the August 2025 average rating
- Spain, as the host nation
- Uzbekistan, nominated by the FIDE President
This will be the second time Spain has hosted the event, following the successful 2021 edition in Sitges (Barcelona). The most recent championship was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in 2023.
One of the major novelties in the FIDE World Women Team Chess Championship 2025 is the participation of team FIDE – qualified by average rating, and entirely composed by Russian players. These are Aleksandra Goryachkina (2540), Katerina Lagno (2517), Polina Shuvalova (2472), Leya Garifullina (2458), Anna Shukhman (2418), Olga Girya (2390), and the captain Sergey Rublevsky. (see all participant teams here) Today, the 17th of November, the team of Ukraine have officially filed an appeal against the participation of the Russian team.
Volodimir Kovalchuk, Vice President of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, says, “The Ukrainian delegation has filed an appeal against the participation of the Russian women’s team in the World Chess Championship in Linares! Being here on site, we wrote the appeal and officially registered it! After all, this federation is illegally taking part here under the cover of FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich!”
Stay tuned for more information, developing story
George Mastrokoukos comments, “According to FIDE’s own decision of 18 July, the participation of a Russian women’s team in Spain is possible ONLY upon a letter of no-objection by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Has anyone seen such a letter by the IOC?” Mastrokouskos even goes to address the Minister of Sports of Spain, “Dear Pilar Alegria, a few days ago you signed that IOC guidelines (which exclude team events for Russian passport holders) should be followed. Why do you allow Spain to be used as a white-washing vehicle for the Kremlin with the FIDE World Team Chess Championship for women?”
More about the FIDE World Women Team Chess Championship 2025
The event is expected to attract many of the strongest women players in the world. On board one, China will be fielding Hou Yifan, widely regarded as one of the greatest female chess players in history and a central figure in modern women’s chess. Hou Yifan is a four-time Women’s World Champion (2010, 2011, 2013, 2016) and has represented Team China in numerous Olympiads and team competitions, contributing to several gold medal victories, including at the World Women’s Team Championships (2007, 2009, 2011, 2015).
This will be the second time Spain has hosted the event, following the successful 2021 edition in Sitges (Barcelona). The most recent championship was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in 2023.
“We are delighted to bring the World Women’s Team Championship to Linares,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. “This city has a legendary connection with the game, and we are confident that it will provide a perfect stage for this major event in the women’s calendar.”
