Ten Biggest Stars of the Women’s Olympiad!

The Olympiad is over and we finally know which country is the best in women’s chess: China! Wait, didn’t we already know that? Well, we did. But we didn’t know that this China with just Zhu Jiner and not Ju Wenjun, Tan Zhongyi, or Lei Tingjie could come out of an Olympiad on top. But they did. They overcame a team with a similar lineup in Kazakhstan. And they overcame a way stronger team in India that were the defending champions and the favourites to win it all.

All in all, I would say there weren’t many surprises for the medals team-wise. I predicted India, China, Kazakhstan (+ USA in 4th), and we got China, Kazakhstan, India, (+ USA in 4th). When that happens, I could say it’s because I know what I’m talking about it. But really, it just means things went about as expected. India will be a little disappointed they only got bronze, but they were really only one game against China away from gold. It was decided by small margins in the end.

While the medals weren’t so surprising, some of the players on those teams were. These are the ten standout players who really shaped the medal race and the Olympiad as a whole for the better!

No. 10: Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan)

World No. 2 Bibisara Assaubayeva got off to a slow start, but was still there when Kazakhstan needed her most. She scored critical wins in Round 9 and Round 10 against Mongolia and France that saved Kazakhstan from losing both those matches. In the last round, she held the draw in the team’s very last game of the Olympiad. That clinched Kazakhstan’s 2nd silver medal in a row once and for all. Bibisara wasn’t just a star on the board, she was a star off it. There were few players fans wanted to meet more than the 3-time Women’s World Blitz Champion.

Bibisara Assaubayeva taking pictures from fans. Credit: AlmightyChess.

No. 9: Alice Lee (United States)

Alice Lee dazzled at the last Olympiad on Board 4 at only 14, and this time was no different. Even on Board 2, she still kept her unbeaten Olympiad record intact, scoring 8½/10 for a 2572 performance. That was good enough for Board 2 gold and was the 4th-best performance on any board. Alice gained +14 Elo at the Olympiad, and is up a staggering +68 Elo since March alone. To top it all off, she finished the event as the No. 1-rated junior girl in the world for the first time in her career.

No. 8: Mariam Mkrtchyan (Armenia)

Mariam Mkrtchyan was one of two players who had the chance to get the IM title at the Olympiad. She needed to both make her final IM norm and cross 2400, starting out at 2374. Mariam got off to a roaring start with 5½/6. Having only faced 1 IM in the first 7 rounds, it looked like the bigger obstacle might be facing 3 IMs, but fortunately she was paired with Alice in Round 8. She got into trouble, but held a draw to both cross 2400 and help her team upset Team USA.

Because of that upset, Armenia also got a strong pairing in the next round: China. Mariam got the IM opponent she needed in Song Yuxin and made the draw she needed to clinch the norm and the IM title. She’s the 9th new IM this year among women, and she didn’t stop there. She also won her final two games to take Board 2 silver behind Alice and finish the tournament at a career-best rating of 2421.

No. 7: Carissa Yip (United States)

Carissa Yip was the No. 2 biggest star at the last Olympiad. Even though she actually lost a game this time, she didn’t let that stop her from having an amazing Olympiad once again. Overall, she scored 8/10 and was one of only two players in the event to compile a 2600+ performance. That performance won her silver on Board 1 ahead of names like Humpy and Bibisara.

Every round Carissa won, the team won. Unfortunately, every round she didn’t win, the team didn’t win either and they just missed out on a medal in 4th place. But individually, Carissa capped off the event almost right at her peak at 2484. She’s one more great tournament away from becoming the next GM.

No. 6: Bodhana Sivanandan (England)

Bodhana Sivanandan was the youngest competitor on any of the top teams by far. That proved to be no obstacle. In her 2nd Olympiad, she made the jump all the way from Board 5 to Board 1. She was one of the few to play all 11 rounds on Board 1 and very nearly finished the event unbeaten. Her strong 6/7 start made a norm possible, and in Round 9, the historic moment came. She cleanly held a draw with IM Mai Narva to clinch her final WGM norm and the WGM title. She’s the first 11-year-old to earn the WGM title, a long way ahead of the previous record set by chess legend GM Hou Yifan.

That wasn’t it though. There were still two rounds left and Bodhana had the chance to get an IM norm as well if she beat veteran GM Nana Dzagnidze. That didn’t happen, but a draw in that game gave her one final chance in the last round. She had to beat the Philippines’ veteran WGM Janelle Mae Frayna, and she did. That makes it two IM norms in the past few months and an amazing performance all-around for the super-talented Bodhana.

No. 5: Zhu Jiner (China)

Some people thought China needed more GMs than just World No. 1 Zhu Jiner to bring home the gold. They were wrong. Zhu locked down Board 1, going unbeaten with just one scare against Oliwia Kiołbasa that didn’t matter because China were going to beat Poland anyway. Overall, she had 5 wins in just 9 rounds, good for a 2638 performance. That was the best performance in the event by far and won Zhu individual gold on Board 1. It was the 2nd Olympiad in a row she won Board 1 gold. The only other women to achieve that are the famous Georgian World Champions: Nona Gaprindashvili and Maia Chiburdanidze.

But the big prize was China winning the whole Olympiad. With just two draws and no losses, China won almost easily and Zhu Jiner was the one making it look easy.

The Olympiad gold medallists China. Credit: M Walusza.

No. 4: Alua Nurman (Kazakhstan)

Alua Nurman was Kazakhstan’s biggest hero at the last Olympiad when they got silver, but this time she would have even more responsibility moving up from Board 4 to Board 2. Would that stop her? No. In Round 6, she got Kazakhstan’s only win against Azerbaijan to take the team to a perfect 6-0.

Things got even more intense once the Olympiad reached the medal rounds. In Round 8, Kazakhstan faced India in a clash of the medal favourites. Alua was up against Vaishali and even with Black, took her down in time trouble. It was Kazakhstan’s only win once again. At the time, it looked like it was going to win them the match, but it still proved to be the only reason they didn’t lose. The very next round, Kazakhstan needed Alua again. They looked surely like they were going to be upset by Mongolia, but on the very last board, Alua grinded out a win from an equal endgame, even with one pawn down, to salvage a draw for the match. Three times, Kazakhstan were in trouble and Alua saved them. In the end, they got silver for the 2nd Olympiad in a row and Alua was a big reason they made the podium at all.

No. 3: Lu Miaoyi (China)

Even though China weren’t sending all their strongest players, they still had one of the strongest teams. Just by being the No. 4 seed, they were going to have at least some shot at the medals. The biggest question about the team was not their missing GMs, but probably their youngest player: 16-year-old Lu Miaoyi. At the start of the year, Miaoyi had been the No. 1 junior girl in the world, but she was not having a good year, dropping to No. 12. Would Miaoyi be able to bounce back at the Olympiad? The answer was absolutely yes.

Miaoyi finished the event as the top scorer in the whole Women’s Olympiad with 9½/11 on Board 3. She beat four out of the five players she faced who were higher-rated than her, and compiled a 2576 performance, the best performance of her career to date. China finished the event unbeaten and Miaoyi was the main reason why. In Round 7, she got China’s only win against Kazakhstan to draw that match instead of lose it. In Round 10, China faced India in the match that would decide the gold medal. If China lost, gold would have probably gone to India. But Miaoyi didn’t let that happen. She beat Vantika Agrawal to ensure that China would draw that match as well, all but clinching the gold medal.

Like Zhu Jiner, Miaoyi also got double gold as she ran away with the individual gold on Board 3 by over a 100 Elo ahead of Divya Deshmukh in second place. Overall, this was China’s 7th-ever Olympiad gold medal, but definitely one of their most impressive. Miaoyi was their player who was the most impressive.

Olympiad double gold medallist Lu Miaoyi. Credit: M Walusza.

No. 2: Elnaz Kaliakhmet (Kazakhstan)

Kazakhstan has an interesting Olympiad selection process. Both their last two national champions automatically make the team. Elnaz Kaliakhmet winning the women’s national title last year coupled with Zarina Nurgaliyeva winning it this year meant that two players from the 2024 silver-medal Olympiad team wouldn’t be back. That’s particularly harsh for Xeniya Balabayeva, who was excellent on Board 3 in 2024 and is right on the cusp of earning the IM title. Nonetheless, Kazakhstan would have to make due with the even-younger and lower-titled Elnaz and Zarina in their Olympiad debuts. Elnaz ended up with the bigger responsibility on Board 4 and she delivered.

Elnaz began the Olympiad on 4/4. In Round 7 against China, Elnaz got Kazakhstan’s only win against China to draw that match and stay unbeaten. In Round 8, it looked like Elnaz was poised to be a hero again against India. Kazakhstan was leading the match and only needed a draw on the final board to seal it. Elnaz had a drawish endgame, but let it slip away with just seconds on the clock.

Elnaz Kaliakhmet with her teammate and fellow star Alua Nurman. Credit: M Walusza.

Elnaz was rested for the next round, but after Kazakhstan drew that match as well, she was back on Board 4 against France. Kazakhstan got an early lead thanks to Bibisara on Board 1, but still looked poised to lose after collapses on Board 3 and Board 4 right after. Elnaz had to play almost the whole game effectively a piece down, but she wouldn’t quit. Her opponent was literally a bishop up in a one-pawn-each endgame, but was having trouble making progress. That’s when the moment came. With under a minute on the clock, her opponent gave a check and then left her rook undefended on the next move. Elnaz took it. The endgame was equal, and a few moves later, it was losing again, but not for Elnaz. Elnaz won this game to win the whole match for Kazakhstan and save their spot on the podium. It also earned Elnaz her final WGM norm and the WGM title.

In the final round, Elnaz won again, Kazakhstan’s only win against Poland, to draw that match and earn Kazakhstan’s second silver in a row. Elnaz didn’t get team gold, but she did get individual gold on Board 4. Kazakhstan had never medalled at the Olympiad before 2024. Now they have two silvers, and this time, Elnaz was the main reason for it.

No. 1: Savitha Shri B (India)

Savitha Shri wasn’t even supposed to make India’s Olympiad team until veteran GM Harika Dronavalli decided to drop out in order to give another young player the chance instead. That young player was Savitha Shri.

India choose their teams based solely on rating. Savitha had just won the Asian Women’s Championship, but was still No. 6 on India’s depth chart right behind Vantika Agrawal, who won individual gold at the last Olympiad and was having an excellent year once again. Both players were deserving, but there were only five spots. Harika recognized the situation. She knew it was time to pass the baton, and Savitha was in.

Even as the reserve board, Savitha played the first 4 rounds and won all 4 games. In Round 5, she was rested because Vantika was also on a perfect score and India suffered a surprise upset. Their longtime nemeses Poland knocked them out of the lead. That got Savitha back in the lineup, and she didn’t waste the chance. She won two more games in a row. Then came the pivotal moment in Round 8. India were about to lose to Kazakhstan. If they suffered another loss, their gold medal chances would be over and they might not medal at all. Savitha was the only board left. She had a very-drawish endgame against Elnaz no less, but somehow prevailed. She was on 7/7!

The heroics didn’t stop there. In Round 10, India needed to beat China to have a shot at the gold medal. The match looked headed for a draw and there were only two boards left. All of a sudden, Vantika over-pressed and looked lost. If India were to lose, they again might not medal at all. Savitha again had another drawn endgame, but she found a way to win to draw the match and keep India’s best medal hopes alive. In Round 11, it was the opposite situation. Savitha was about to lose. If she lost, it was certain India would miss out on the podium. In the very last game of India’s Olympiad, she found a way to salvage a draw. Three times, India were in trouble and Savitha saved them. India made the podium for the 3rd time in a row at the Women’s Olympiad, and Savitha was the one who got them there.

The Olympiad’s biggest star, Savitha Shri. Credit: M Walusza.

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Like the last Olympiad, this Olympiad really belonged to the youth. Zhu Jiner is the oldest player on this list, and she’s only 23. She was also the oldest of the five Olympiad individual board gold medallists. All of the individual board silver medallists with 23 or younger as well, except for the reserve board. At least veteran GM moms Humpy Koneru and Bella Khotenashvili were there to represent the older generation with individual bronze on Boards 1 & 3.

With two of the three podium spots staying the same (not to mention the US only dropped from 3rd to 4th), this Olympiad wasn’t all that different from the last one. All three medallists have fairly young teams, so I would still expect them to contend for quite awhile. Could we expect anything different by the time next Olympiad rolls around in Abu Dhabi in 2028?

Asia claimed all three medals this time. They will keep home field advantage next time, which doesn’t bode well for the other parts of the world. Russia might be back by the next Olympiad, but probably only if they stop the war in Ukraine. Another team that could make a bigger splash is Team USA. With Carissa Yip and Alice Lee both closing in on the GM title and other promising juniors as well, they could be not just a medal favourite, but a favourite for gold soon. Is there any hope for Europe? Honestly, I think no. But we’ll find out for sure in Abu Dhabi. See you then!

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