2009 World Women's Team Chess Championship

From Press Trust of India Harika to lead India in World Women Team Chess STAFF WRITER 17:6 HRS IST New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) International Master Dronavalli Harika will spearhead Indian challenge in the World Women Team Chess Championship, starting tomorrow in Ningbo, China. Harika (ELO 2474), who was also a part of the Olympic team, will lead the side including former Asian women's Champion IM Tania Sachdev (ELO 2423), Woman Grandmasters Kruttika Nadig (ELO 2361), Eesha Karavade (ELO 2359) and Gomes Mary Ann (2332). Indian team has the ELO rating points of 2390.As many as 10 teams will contest in the nine-round event, which will be inaugurated tomorrow and play will start the next day in a round-robin format. Host China are the top seeds and field two team -- A and B. The 'A' team will be led by GM Yifan Hou, with average rating of 2490. Their main competition will come from Georgia and Russia, who come without World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. GM Susan Polgar's blog has information about the composition of the teams competing in this event. For a "world championship" it's pathetic. I hope the U.S. chess femmes are getting a nice stipend from USCF or someone (why is this always so fricking secret who is paying for what, I ask you?) to appear in this foregone conclusion of China winning. Snbore. I'll be the first to eat one of my dirty socks molding away in the closet in a corner if I'm wrong.