Lindenwood chess player Women's International Grandmaster Anna Sharevich recently wrote about her experiences as the official commentator for the FIDE Women's World Chess Team Championships, an event that gathered 10 of the top teams in the world for round-robin play in Astana, Kazakhstan March 2-13.

It wasn't the first time that Sharevich had been an announcer for a major event. She shared duties with International Grandmaster Konstantin Landa for the World Chess Cup in Russia in 2011, but this was her first solo effort.

"Since it was just me commenting on the event, it goes without saying that the pressure was doubled in comparison to the World Cup," she said. "This time, the responsibility was totally on me as the person who was talking the entire round, which means six hours every day."

There were four teams considered the favorites to battle for the top three positions at the event: the Ukraine, Georgia, Russia and China. The United States and India were not among the teams expected to win, but they were expected to place higher than the rest of the field.

Sharevich recounted the performance of the Americans.

"The United States team had a rough start before the girls showed all of their potential," she said. "One of their best matches was a win against Russia that took away all of the Russian hopes for a gold medal. The second board player, Irina Krush, took first on her board and brought a personal medal to the country."

Ultimately, the U.S. would finish sixth at the championships, but the battle for first was an exciting one as Sharevich explained.

"The top seeded Ukrainian team had a tough start, especially taking into account their match against Turkey, the lowest seed at the event," she said. "When they escaped with a win, it became a crucial moment. Ultimately, the last round decided everything. When the match between the Ukraine and Russia ended in a draw, it gave the Ukraine first, China second, and Russian third, with Georgia in fourth."

Sharevich summed up her experiences on the trip.

"Because of the warmth and hospitality of the organizers, this tournament is one of the best memories I will have in my life," she said. "For me personally, it was a new step in my commentating career and I hope to return to Kazakhstan once again."

The Women's World Chess Team Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan represented the fourth time in history the event had taken place. Previous championships were held in 2007 in the Russian Federation, in 2009 in China, and in 2011 in Turkey.

2013 Women's World Chess Team Championships
Final Standings

Rank	Team	Match Points
1	Ukraine	16
2	China	15
3	Russia	13
4	Georgia	12
5	India	9
6	USA	8
7	Kazakhstan	6
8	Romania	6
9	France	4
10	Turkey	1