The fifth edition of the Cairns Cup returns to Saint Louis, bringing together ten of the world's strongest female players for one of the most prestigious events on the women's circuit. Scheduled as a single round-robin, the tournament will once again take place at the World Chess Hall of Fame in the historic Central West End, hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club.
This year's edition, featuring a classical time control (90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder, with a 30-second increment from move one), offers a record prize fund of $250,000. In the event of a tie for first place, a playoff will determine the overall winner.
Among the top contenders are GM Tan Zhongyi (2546), the reigning champion and former Women's World Champion; GM Humpy Koneru (2543), winner of the 2020 edition and a two-time Women's World Rapid Champion; GM Nana Dzagnidze (2505), a four-time national champion from Georgia; and GM-elect Bibisara Assaubayeva (2509), who has claimed the Women's World Blitz title twice.
The tournament also reflects the continued commitment of the Saint Louis Chess Club to promoting professional chess opportunities for American women. This includes the Cairns Chess Queens Award, established in 2024, which offers up to five $100,000 awards to U.S. female players who earn the full Grandmaster title by 2029.
All participants
| Player | FIDE rating | Federation |
| Tan Zhongyi | 2546 | CHN |
| Humpy Koneru | 2543 | IND |
| Bibisara Assaubayeva | 2509 | KAZ |
| Nana Dzagnidze | 2505 | GEO |
| Mariya Muzychuk | 2492 | UKR |
| Harika Dronavalli | 2483 | IND |
| Nino Batsiashvili | 2462 | GEO |
| Alina Kashlinskaya | 2459 | POL |
| Carissa Yip | 2431 | USA |
| Alice Lee | 2389 | USA |
Alice Lee | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Mariya Muzychuk | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Schedule
| Date | Time | Activity |
| Sunday, June 8 | - | Player Arrival |
| Monday, June 9 | - | Players Meeting |
| Tuesday, June 10 | 12:00 p. m. | Round 1 |
| Wednesday, June 11 | 12:00 p. m. | Round 2 |
| Thursday, June 12 | 12:00 p. m. | Round 3 |
| Friday, June 13 | 12:00 p. m. | Round 4 |
| Saturday, June 14 | 12:00 p. m. | Round 5 |
| Sunday, June 15 | - | Rest Day |
| Monday, June 16 | 12:00 p. m. | Round 6 |
| Tuesday, June 17 | 12:00 p. m. | Round 7 |
| Wednesday, June 18 | 12:00 p. m. | Round 8 |
| Thursday, June 19 | 12:00 p. m. | Round 9 |
| Friday, June 20 | 12:00 p. m. | Rapid Playoff (if needed) – G/15+10 |
| 2:00 p. m. | Blitz Playoff (if needed) – G/3+2 | |
| 7:00 p. m. | Closing Ceremony | |
| Friday, June 20 | - | Closing Dinner |
| Saturday, June 21 | - | Player Departure |
| Advertising |
.jpeg)
.jpeg)