Georgia fields reserves while France scores a last-round triumph.
With the qualifying rounds concluded, the quarterfinal line-up is finalized, showcasing a mix of powerhouse teams and emerging contenders.
Azerbaijan, China, and other top seeds demonstrated both depth and precision, while prodigious talents like Lu Miaoyi and Ulviyya Fataliyeva reminded the chess world of their rising potential. The upcoming duels will test strategy, resilience, and nerves under pressure.
Eight teams move forward, each carrying hopes, ambitions, and the scars of previous battles. Every quarterfinal match promises intense battles, where experience meets ambition, and every move could decide the fate of a championship run.
Let’s look at how the afternoon unfolded in greater detail in each pool.
The afternoon of chess began with Javier Ochoa de Echagüen, President of the Spanish Chess Federation and of the Ibero-American Chess Federation and FIDE Adviser, opening the round with the ceremonial gong.
Pool A
Azerbaijan prevailed in their crucial clash against the host nation, Spain. The final result — a convincing 3.5–0.5 — leaves no room for doubt and secured the Azeri team a spot in the quarterfinals, while simultaneously eliminating the Spaniards from the competition.
One of the key victories came on board one, where IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (2420) outplayed IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2429). European U-14 and U-18 champion, Fataliyeva also won the 2024 European Women’s Individual Chess Championship.
In this middlegame position, Fataliyeva enjoys more space, and her pieces are harmoniously placed for an attack. Until this moment, Khademalsharieh had defended accurately, striving to keep the position as closed as possible.
However, her last move – 21…Qd7? instead of the stronger 21…0–0–0 – allowed the Azeri player to break through with a classical piece sacrifice, beginning with 22.f5! gxf5 23.Bxf5! exf5 24.e6! fxe6 25.Nxe6
The knight on e6 prevents Black from castling and threatens multiple discovered checks. Spain’s top board tried to block with 25…Be7, but after 26.Qe5! the rook on h8 came under direct fire. Khademalsharieh replied with 26…Rg8, yet 27.Qxf5 (threatening 28.Qxh5#) only intensified the pressure.
Following 27…Qc6, the precise 28.Qf7+ forced immediate resignation, as 28…Kd7 29.Nc5+ Kd6 30.Bf4 leads to checkmate. A fantastic attacking masterpiece by IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva!
In the other afternoon encounters, team FIDE completed the qualifying stage with a perfect 100% score, delivering a dominant 3.5–0.5 victory over Peru.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan produced the upset of the round, defeating team USA by the same margin and securing second place in the group.
POOL A FINAL STANDINGS
Pool B
The match between Uzbekistan and India was fiercely contested. Although a draw would have been enough to qualify both teams, a decisive win on the fourth board by WGM Srija Seshadri secured a 2.5–1.5 victory for India and third place in the group standings.
Meanwhile, China cruised past Ukraine with a convincing 3–1 score. The match highlighted IM Lu Miaoyi (2440) as a future contender for the highest honors in women’s chess.
Born in 2010, Lu Miaoyi is a rising Chinese chess prodigy and one of the strongest young female players in the world. She is known for her aggressive style, rapid rating ascent, and record-setting achievements at a remarkably young age.
Under severe time pressure, IM Nataliya Buksa (2400) finally cracked and played 18.Qe1? (the correct move was 18.Qe2, which would have maintained equality), allowing a neat tactical opportunity.
Lu Miaoyi thought for seven minutes to calculate the lines and played 18…Nxe3! After 19.Rxe3, she followed up with 19…Qd5!, threatening mate on g2. At this point, 20.Nf3 would have fallen to 20…Qxd3, while 20.Bf1 loses to 20…Bxe3+ 21.Qxe3 Rc2!, winning immediately.
Buksa chose 20.Qf1, giving up the exchange after 20…Bxe3. Although the game continued until move thirty-seven, the result was never in doubt, with Lu Miaoyi firmly in control.
Already qualified in first place, Georgia decided to field their two reserve players, Kirtadze and Mgeladze, providing a well-deserved rest for the starting lineup.
Despite putting up a strong fight, they went down 3–1 against France, who will leave Linares with mixed feelings – elimination from contention but a final-round victory against the group leaders.
POOL B FINAL STANDINGS
With these results, the quarterfinals are set.
According to the regulations, each duel consists of two matches with the same time control as the qualifying stage: 45 minutes per player for the entire game, plus a 30-second increment per move starting from move 1.
In the event of a drawn duel – either if each team wins one match, or both matches are drawn – board points will not be used as a tiebreaker. Instead, blitz matches will determine the winner.
The first quarterfinal matches will start on November 21 at 1:30 PM local time.
The action can be followed live on the FIDE YouTube Channel, featuring expert commentary by GMs Antoaneta Stefanova and Ivan Cheparinov.
Official website: worldwomenteams2025.fide.com/
Written by IM Michael Rahal
Photos: Raúl Martínez / Pavel Dvorkovich