The 13th edition of a Women Chess Festival took place in Wroclaw, Poland between 15th and 22nd December. The main part of the Festival is exteremly exciting and strong Match – Poland top female players are facing invited guests from the Rest of the World Team. The Match consists of 5 classical games, each player will face every player from the oposing team. The lineup of the event is incredibly impressive, featuring leading female chess players, like 10th World Champion GM Antoaneta Stefanova, ex women’s world number 1, legendary GM Pia Cramling or GM Monika Soćko, 2022 Women’s European Champion.
TEAM WORLD
1. GM Pia Cramling (Sweden)
2. GM Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria)
3. IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (Greece)
4. IM Mai Narva (Estonia)
5. IM Gulnar Mammadova (Azerbaijan)
TEAM POLAND
1. GM Monika Socko
2. IM Jolanta Zawadzka
3. IM Oliwia Kiołbasa
4. IM Karina Cyfka
5. IM Klaudia Kulon
The Festival is more than just a Match though – Organisers also took care of other chess players and organised many side-events: blitz, rapid, kids or even University tournaments took part to attract hundreds of chess-players. One of the events organised was also Polish Women’s Championship in rapid chess.
The Festival is a Memorial of Krystyna Holuj-Radzikowska, a record 9-time polish women’s champion, who was one of the best players in the world in 50s and 60s.
The Match was full of interesting games and ideas. Despite the difference in the average rating, it was also really equal and the result wasn’t clear till last round. When it seemed that Team World will manage to win on demands, a very dramatic mistake occurred in time-trouble in the game between Pia Cramling and Oliwia Kiołbasa, which allowed Team Poland to win the Match 6:4. That is also first win of Team Poland ever in this Match! Congratulations to Team Poland and all participants for brilliant fighting spirit.
