The preparations for the upcoming Chess Olympiad 2024 are in full swing! While some federations organize the preparation camps with professional coaches, others are going for preparation matches. Women’s National Teams of Azerbaijan and Georgia meet this week in a friendly five-round match with the participation of their best players who will likely represent their countries in Budapest, Hungary.
The match is taking place from 27 February to 2 March in Georgia, and the composition of the teams is as follows:
Team Georgia:
- GM Bella Khotenashvili (2464)
- IM Meri Arabidze (2461)
- GM Nino Batsiashvili (2447)
- IM Lela Javakhishvili (2438)
- IM Melia Salome (2355)
Team Azerbaijan:
- IM Gunay Mammadzada (2449)
- IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (2384)
- WGM Govhar Beydullayeva (2374)
- IM Gulnar Mammadova (2351)
- IM Khanim Balajayeva (2350)
It is interesting that the two teams met at the 2022 Olympiad in the last round, determining the medalist. With a 3-1 victory, Georgia finished the event tying for the top with Ukraine, while Azerbaijan dropped to the 7th place.
The preparation match between the multiple Olympic medalists will certainly serve the players well, not only for the 45th Chess Olympiad, but also for the upcoming European Women’s Chess Championship 2024. Despite the friendly character of the match, all the games will be FIDE rated, and the players will try to show their best. Live games can be followed here.
