Top Female Chess Players to Compete in Elite Cairns Cup

by ChessBase
5/22/2023 – A new edition of the Cairns Cup, the equivalent of the Sinquefield Cup but for top women players, will be played from 3 June. Humpy Koneru and Alexandra Kosteniuk top the women's seedings. The tournament is named after Dr Jeanne Cairns, Rex Sinquefield's wife.

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Top Female Chess Players to Compete in Elite Cairns Cup

Press Release, Saint Louis Chess Club

Saint Louis Chess Club to host International players to vie for one of the largest chess prize funds for women

The Cairns Cup returns this June and will feature ten of the world's best female chess players. Inspired by its mission to further promote the game of chess to women, the tournament is aptly named in honor of Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield’s maiden name. 

The ten player round robin tournament will be hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club at the World Chess Hall of Fame from June 3-13, 2023 and will feature one of the strongest female fields, as they compete for a total prize fund of $180,000.

The Saint Louis Chess Club continues to bring new and innovative ways to promote the game of chess,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “The Cairns Cup is exciting to watch because it brings together one of the strongest international fields ever assembled in women’s chess with one of the largest prize funds for an all-female tournament”.

The 2023 Cairns Cup field will feature:

GM Humpy Koneru 2576 IND
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2535 SUI
GM Nana Dzagnidze 2525 GEO
GM Harika Dronavalli 2511 IND
GM Zhansaya Abdumalik 2497 KAZ
GM Elisabeth Paehtz 2479 GER
GM Bella Khotenashvili 2478 GEO
IM Gunay Mammadzada 2449 AZE
GM Irina Krush 2436 USA
IM Anna Zatonskih 2330 USA

“We are proud to again offer an elite international chess tournament created to provide more opportunities for female chess players,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, Co-founder of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “We hope by providing a world class facility and a competitive prize fund, we will help inspire more women to play chess on a competitive level.”

Each round will be streamed live daily from June 3-10 at 1 p.m. CT with the expert commentary team of Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan, International Master Nazi Paikidze and Woman Grandmaster Anastasiya Karlovich. 

For more information and to watch the livestream, visit uschesschamps.com.

About The Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.

Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit saintlouischessclub.org.


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