Odisha International Master Padmini Rout won the individual Board 1 bronze medal in the FIDE World Womens Team Chess Championship, which was held in Linares, Spain from 17 to 24 November 2025. However, the Indian team bowed out in the quarterfinals, losing to Kazakhstan 4.5-3.5.

IM B Savitha Shri, WGM P V Nandhidhaa, WIM Sarayu Velpula and WGM Srija Seshadri were other four players of the five-member Indian squad. The team was supported by Odisha GM Swayams Mishra as captain and coach, WIM Saritha M Reddy as coach and Adusumilli Suresh as head of delegation.

India qualified for the quarterfinals, finishing third in Pool B with six points, behind. In their three pool league matches, India beat Ukraine and Uzbekistan by an identical margin of 2.5-1.5; lost to Georgia 0.5-3.5 and drew with both China and France 2-2. Georgia and China secured the top two positions in the pool.

IM Padmini won two of her eight matches, defeating Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) and Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan). She drew five games with Nino Batsiashvili (Georgia), Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova (Uzbekistan), Deimante Daulyte-Cornette (France), Meruert Kamalidenova (Kazakhstan) and Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan), and lost two against legendary Chinese star Hou Yifan.

India achieved another success in the championship with IM B Savitha Shri capturing the individual Board 4 bronze medal. The FIDE team clinched gold with an unbeaten run, overcoming Azerbaijan in the final.
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PHOTO: Odisha IM Padmini Rout (4th from left) and GM Swayams Mishra (2nd from left) pose with the Indian team at the FIDE World Womens Team Chess Championship in Linares, Spain.