Chess Femme News!

Some news reports from around the world on their Olympiad Teams' (with emphasis on the women's teams) results in R1:

First up, a R1 report by Jen Shahade at the U.S. Chess Federation website
US Olympic Teams Perfect in Round 1
September 21, 2010
Our US Olympic teams swept the Faroe Islands (Open) and Dominican Republic (women's) in round 1 of the Olympiad! US Women's Champion Irina Krush executed a quick attack [you can play through her game at the link].

Azerbaijani chess teams start successfully at Olympic Games
Wed 22 September 2010 05:51 GMT | 0:51 Local Time
The first round of the Chess Olympig Games has been played in Khanti-Mansiysk (Russia). Men and women teams of Azerbaijan started participation with victories. Both teams won with the equal score 3.5:0.5. During the meeting of the women’s teams of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan Zeynab Mammadyarova (2234) beat Marvori Nasriddinzoda (1943), Turkan Mammadyarova (2301) played a draw with Nadejda Antonova (1838), Gulnar Mammadova (2293) beat Lydia Antonova (0), and Nargiz Umudova (2251) defeated Asila Mukhtojzoda.

Chess Olympiad: Indian women thrash Albania 4-0; men dump Wales
India Express.com
Posted: Wed Sep 22 2010, 12:55 hrs
Led by Dronavalli Harika, Indian women started off with a clean 4-0 first-round victory over Albania in the 39th Chess Olympiad here.  The girls were quite impressive and made it all look easy without any hiccups. On the top board, Harika won with white against Eglantina Shabanaj in a chance-less game. Tania Sachdev had to sweat it out against Alda Shabanaj on the second board. Playing black, Tania was up against the Queen pawn opening and her choice of the Queen's Indian came good. The middle game saw Shabanaj caught in a tactical web and the Albanian got her queen trapped. On the last two boards for India, Eesha Karavade and S Meenakshi got the better of Rozana Cimaj and Roela Pasku, respectively.

From her popular chess blog, I learned that GM Susan Polgar is now in Mansky Kamsky (a/k/a Khanty-Mansiysk)!  Actually, I thought she was already there, as she is the official ambassador for promoting Tromso's bid for the 2014 Chess Olympiad.  SP is also co-chair of the FIDE Committee on Women's Chess (along with GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, who is playing on Russian Women's Team 1).  I don't know if the Women's Chess Committee will be making a report or presentation to the FIDE Congress, but as a committee member SP would want to be present in any event.