The Women's Chess Olympiad is an event held by FIDE (the International Chess Federation) since 1957 (every two years since 1972), where national women's teams compete at chess for gold, silver and bronze medals. Since 1976 the Women's Chess Olympiad has been incorporated within Chess Olympiad events, with simultaneous women's and open tournaments.

The trophy for the winning women's team is known as the Vera Menchik Cup in honor of the first Women's World Chess Champion (1927–1944). The Soviet Union has won it the most often: 11 times. Before the break-up of the Soviet Union, it has also been won by Hungary led by three Polgár sisters (twice) and Israeli team fully composed of Soviet-born players (once in 1976 when it was boycotted by the Eastern Bloc). In the post-Soviet era, China have won the event seven times, Georgia – four times, Russia – three times, Ukraine – two times and India – once.

Format The women's Olympiad consisted of teams of two in 1957; teams of two with one reserve from 1963 to 1974; and teams of three with one reserve from 1976 to 2006. Since 2008 it has had teams of four with one reserve, the same format as the open Olympiad.

Results

From 1957 to 1974 the Women's Olympiad was a separate event (with except of the 1972 event). Since 1976 it has been held in the same place and at the same time as the open event.

Year Event Host Gold Silver Bronze 1957 1st Women's Chess Olympiad Emmen, Netherlands 10½Olga RubtsovaKira Zvorykina 10½Maria PogoreviciMargareta Teodorescu 10Edith Keller-HerrmannUrsula Altrichter 1963 2nd Women's Chess Olympiad Split, then part of Yugoslavia 25Nona GaprindashviliTatiana ZatulovskayaKira Zvorykina 24½Milunka LazarevićVerica NedeljkovićKatarina Jovanović-Blagojević 21Edith Keller-HerrmannWaltraud NowarraEveline Kraatz 1966 3rd Women's Chess Olympiad Oberhausen, then part of West Germany 22Nona GaprindashviliValentina KozlovskayaTatiana Zatulovskaya 20½Alexandra NicolauElisabeta PolihroniadeMargareta Perevoznic 17Edith Keller-HerrmannWaltraud NowarraGabriele Just 1969 4th Women's Chess Olympiad Lublin, Poland 26Nona GaprindashviliAlla KushnirNana Alexandria 20½Mária IvánkaZsuzsa VerőciKárolyné Honfi 19Štěpánka VokřálováKvěta EretováJana Malypetrová 1972 20th Chess Olympiad Skopje, then part of Yugoslavia 11½Nona GaprindashviliAlla KushnirIrina Levitina 8Elisabeta PolihroniadeGertrude BaumstarkAlexandra Nicolau 8Mária IvánkaZsuzsa VerőciGyuláné Krizsán-Bilek 1974 6th Women's Chess Olympiad Medellín, Colombia 13½Nona GaprindashviliNana AlexandriaIrina Levitina 13½Elisabeta PolihroniadeGertrude BaumstarkMargareta Teodorescu 13Tatjana LematschkoAntonina GeorgievaVenka Asenova 1976 22nd Chess Olympiad * Haifa, Israel 17Alla KushnirLjuba KristolOlga PodrazhanskayaLea Nudelman 11½Jana HartstonSheila JacksonElaine PritchardSusan Caldwell 11½Pepita Ferrer LucasNieves García VicenteMaría del Pino García PadrónTeresa Canela Giménez 1978 23rd Chess Olympiad Buenos Aires, Argentina 16Maia ChiburdanidzeNona GaprindashviliNana AlexandriaElena Akhmilovskaya 11Zsuzsa Verőci-PetronićMária IvánkaZsuzsa MakaiRita Kas 11Anni LaakmannGisela FischdickBarbara HundHannelore Weichert 1980 24th Chess Olympiad Valletta, Malta 32½Maia ChiburdanidzeNona GaprindashviliNana AlexandriaNana Ioseliani 32Zsuzsa Verőci-PetronićMária IvánkaMária Porubszky-AngyalosineTünde Csonkics 26½Hanna Ereńska-RadzewskaGrażyna SzmacińskaMałgorzata WieseAgnieszka Brustman 1982 25th Chess Olympiad Lucerne, Switzerland 33Maia ChiburdanidzeNana AlexandriaNona GaprindashviliNana Ioseliani 30Margareta MureșanMarina PogoreviciDaniela Nuţu-TerescenkoElisabeta Polihroniade 26Zsuzsa Verőci-PetronićMária IvánkaMária Porubszky-AngyalosineTünde Csonkics 1984 26th Chess Olympiad Thessaloniki, Greece 32Maia ChiburdanidzeIrina LevitinaNona GaprindashviliLidia Semenova 27½Margarita VoyskaRumiana GochevaPavlina ChilingirovaStefka Savova 27Margareta MureșanElisabeta PolihroniadeDaniela NuţuGabriela Olărașu 1986 27th Chess Olympiad Dubai, United Arab Emirates 33½Maia ChiburdanidzeElena AkhmilovskayaNona GaprindashviliNana Alexandria 29Zsuzsa Verőci-PetronićIldikó MádlMária IvánkaMária Grosch 28Margareta MureșanDaniela NuţuElisabeta PolihroniadeGabriela Olărașu 1988 28th Chess Olympiad Thessaloniki, Greece 33Zsuzsa PolgárJudit PolgárIldikó MádlZsófia Polgár 32½Maia ChiburdanidzeElena AkhmilovskayaIrina LevitinaMarta Litinskaya 28Alisa MarićGordana MarkovićSuzana MaksimovićVesna Bašagić 1990 29th Chess Olympiad Novi Sad, then part of Yugoslavia 35Zsuzsa PolgárJudit PolgárZsófia PolgárIldikó Mádl 35Maia ChiburdanidzeNona GaprindashviliAlisa GalliamovaKetevan Arakhamia 29Xie JunPeng ZhaoqinQin KanyingWang Lei 1992 30th Chess Olympiad Manila, Philippines 30½Maia ChiburdanidzeNona GaprindashviliNana IoselianiNino Gurieli 29Alisa Galliamova-IvanchukMarta LitinskayaIrina ChelushkinaLidia Semenova 28½Xie JunPeng ZhaoqinWang PinQin Kanying 1994 31st Chess Olympiad Moscow, Russia 32Maia ChiburdanidzeNana IoselianiKetevan ArakhamiaNino Gurieli 31Zsuzsa PolgárZsófia PolgárIldikó MádlTünde Csonkics 27Xie JunPeng ZhaoqinQin KanyingZhu Chen 1996 32nd Chess Olympiad Yerevan, Armenia 30Maia ChiburdanidzeNana IoselianiKetevan Arakhamia-GrantNino Gurieli 28½Xie JunZhu ChenWang LeiWang Pin 28½Alisa GalliamovaSvetlana MatveevaSvetlana PrudnikovaLudmila Zaitseva 1998 33rd Chess Olympiad Elista, Russia 29Xie JunZhu ChenWang PinWang Lei 27Svetlana MatveevaEkaterina KovalevskayaTatiana ShumiakinaTatiana Stepovaya-Dianchenko 27Maia ChiburdanidzeNana IoselianiKetevan Arakhamia-GrantNino Khurtsidze 2000 34th Chess Olympiad Istanbul, Turkey 32Xie JunZhu ChenXu YuhuaWang Lei 31Maia ChiburdanidzeNana IoselianiNino KhurtsidzeNino Gurieli 28½Alisa GalliamovaEkaterina KovalevskayaSvetlana MatveevaTatiana Stepovaya-Dianchenko 2002 35th Chess Olympiad Bled, Slovenia 29½Zhu ChenXu YuhuaWang PinZhao Xue 29Ekaterina KovalevskayaSvetlana MatveevaAlexandra KosteniukTatiana Kosintseva 28Iweta RadziewiczJoanna DworakowskaMonika SoćkoBeata Kądziołka 2004 36th Chess Olympiad Calvià, Spain 31Xie JunXu YuhuaZhao XueHuang Qian 28Susan PolgarIrina KrushAnna ZatonskihJennifer Shahade 27½Alexandra KosteniukTatiana KosintsevaEkaterina KovalevskayaNadezhda Kosintseva 2006 37th Chess Olympiad Turin, Italy 29½Natalia ZhukovaKateryna LahnoInna GaponenkoAnna Ushenina 28Alexandra KosteniukTatiana KosintsevaNadezhda KosintsevaEkaterina Kovalevskaya 27½Zhao XueWang YuShen YangHou Yifan 2008 38th Chess Olympiad Dresden, Germany 18Maia ChiburdanidzeNana DzagnidzeLela JavakhishviliMaia LomineishviliSopiko Khukhashvili 18Kateryna LahnoNatalia ZhukovaAnna UsheninaInna GaponenkoNatalia Zdebskaya 17Irina KrushAnna ZatonskihRusudan GoletianiKaterina RohonyanTatev Abrahamyan 2010 39th Chess Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 22Tatiana KosintsevaNadezhda KosintsevaAlexandra KosteniukAlisa GalliamovaValentina Gunina 18Hou YifanJu WenjunZhao XueHuang QianWang Yu 16Nana DzagnidzeLela JavakhishviliSalome MeliaSopiko KhukhashviliBela Khotenashvili 2012 40th Chess Olympiad Istanbul, Turkey 19Tatiana KosintsevaValentina GuninaNadezhda KosintsevaAlexandra KosteniukNatalia Pogonina 19Hou YifanZhao XueJu WenjunHuang QianDing Yixin 18Kateryna LahnoMariya MuzychukNatalia ZhukovaAnna UsheninaInna Gaponenko 2014 41st Chess Olympiad Tromsø, Norway 20Kateryna LagnoValentina GuninaAlexandra KosteniukOlga GiryaNatalia Pogonina 18Hou YifanJu WenjunZhao XueTan ZhongyiGuo Qi 18Anna MuzychukMariya MuzychukAnna UsheninaNatalia ZhukovaInna Gaponenko 2016 42nd Chess Olympiad Baku, Azerbaijan 20Hou YifanJu WenjunZhao XueTan ZhongyiGuo Qi 17Monika SoćkoJolanta ZawadzkaKarina Szczepkowska-HorowskaKlaudia KulonMariola Woźniak 17Anna MuzychukMariya MuzychukNatalia ZhukovaAnna UsheninaInna Gaponenko 2018 43rd Chess Olympiad Batumi, Georgia 18Ju WenjunShen YangHuang QianLei TingjieZhai Mo 18Anna MuzychukMariya MuzychukAnna UsheninaNatalia ZhukovaYuliia Osmak 17Nana DzagnidzeLela JavakhishviliNino BatsiashviliBela KhotenashviliMeri Arabidze 2022 44th Chess Olympiad Chennai, India 18Mariya MuzychukAnna MuzychukAnna UsheninaNataliya BuksaYuliia Osmak 18Nana DzagnidzeNino BatsiashviliLela JavakhishviliSalome MeliaMeri Arabidze 17Koneru HumpyHarika DronavalliRameshbabu VaishaliTania SachdevBhakti Kulkarni 2024 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest, Hungary 19Harika DronavalliRameshbabu VaishaliDivya DeshmukhVantika AgrawalTania Sachdev 18Bibisara AssaubayevaMeruert KamalidenovaXeniya BalabayevaAlua NurmanAmina Kairbekova 17Gulrukhbegim TokhirjonovaCarissa YipIrina KrushAlice LeeAnna Zatonskih 2026 46th Chess Olympiad Samarkand, Uzbekistan 20Zhu JinerSong YuxinLu MiaoyiYan TianqiZhai Mo 18Bibisara AssaubayevaAlua NurmanMeruert KamalidenovaElnaz KaliakhmetZarina Nurgaliyeva 17Koneru HumpyRameshbabu VaishaliDivya DeshmukhVantika AgrawalSavitha Shri Baskar 2028 47th Chess Olympiad Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates * In 1976 the Soviet Union and other Socialist states did not compete for political reasons.

Gaprindashvili Cup

This trophy was created by FIDE in 1997 and named after Nona Gaprindashvili, the former women's World Champion (1962–1978). The trophy is awarded to the team that has the best overall performance across the open and women's divisions.

Russia has won this trophy six times, China and India – three times each, and Ukraine – two times.

YearFirstSecondThird19982000200220042006200820102012201420162018202220242026

Medal tables

Women's event The table contains the women's teams ranked by the medals won at the Chess Olympiad, not including the unofficial events, ranked by the number of first place medals, ties broken by second-place medals, etc.

Open and Women's events The table contains teams ranked by total number of medals won at the Chess Olympiad (not including the online or unofficial events) in the Open event (since 1927) and Women's event (since 1957), ranked by the number of first-place medals, ties broken by second-place medals, etc.

Most successful players Boldface denotes active chess players and highest medal count among all players (including these who not included in these tables) per type.

Multiple team champions Rank Player Country From To Gold Silver BronzeTotal 1 Nona Gaprindashvili 1963 1992 11 1 – 12 2 Maia Chiburdanidze 1978 2008 9 3 1 13 3 Nana Alexandria 1969 1986 6 – – 6 4 Nana Ioseliani 1980 2000 5 1 1 7 5 Zhao Xue 2002 2016 3 3 1 7 6 Alexandra Kosteniuk 2002 2014 3 2 1 6 7 Xie Jun 1990 2004 3 1 3 7 8 Zhu Chen 1994 2002 3 1 1 5 9 Nino Gurieli 1992 2000 3 1 – 4 Irina Levitina 1972 1988 3 1 – 4

Multiple team medalists The table shows players who have won at least 6 team medals in total at the Chess Olympiads.

Rank Player Country From To Gold Silver BronzeTotal 1 Maia Chiburdanidze 1978 2008 9 3 1 13 2 Nona Gaprindashvili 1963 1992 11 1 – 12 3 Nana Ioseliani 1980 2000 5 1 1 7 4 Zhao Xue 2002 2016 3 3 1 7 5 Xie Jun 1990 2004 3 1 3 7 6 Anna Ushenina 2006 2022 2 2 3 7 7 Nana Alexandria 1969 1986 6 – – 6 8 Alexandra Kosteniuk 2002 2014 3 2 1 6 9 Natalia Zhukova 2006 2018 1 2 3 6 10 Mária Ivánka 1969 1986 – 4 2 6 Elisabeta Polihroniade 1966 1986 – 4 2 6 Zsuzsa Verőci-Petronić 1969 1986 – 4 2 6

Best individual results in the women's section The best individual results in order of overall percentage are: