For the third time, the Saint Louis Chess Club will host the Cairns Chess Cup, an elite level tournament for the top female players from around the world. Inspired by its mission to further promote the game of chess to females, the STLCC aptly chose the name Cairns Cup in honor of co-founder Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield’s maiden name. Fans can look forward to a chess tournament similar in style to the prestigious Sinquefield Cup with the ten best female players from around the world competing in the World Chess Hall of Fame for a $180,000 prize fund.
This tournament, a nine-round classical event, will not only be one of the largest prize funds for a women’s tournament, it promises to be the strongest female tournament ever held in the world. The top three finishers will receive $45,000, $35,000, and $25,000 respectively.
| Dates | June 3 – 13, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Saint Louis Chess Club |
| Format | 10-Player Round Robin |
| Prize Fund | $180,000 |
The participants are: India’s top female player and current World No. 3 among women Humpy Koneru (India), a former Women’s World Champion and current women’s World No. 7 Alexandra Kosteniuk (Switzerland), a multiple time Georgian Women’s Champion, current Georgian Women’s No. 1 and current Women’s World No. 10 Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia), a former Indian Women’s Champion, current India Women’s No. 2 and current Women’s World No. 13 Harika Dronavalli (India), a two-time Kazakhstani Women’s Champion, current Kazakhstan Women’s No. 1 and World No. 14 Zhansaya Abdumalik (Kazakhstan), a German grandmaster and No. 1 female player from Germany Elisabeth Paehtz (Germany), a multiple time Georgian Women’s Champion and current Georgian No. 2. female player Bella Khotenashvili (Georgia), a two-time Azerbaijani Women’s Champion and current Azerbaijan No. 1 among women Gunay Mammadzada (Azerbaijan), an eight-time U.S. Women’s Champion and current U.S. Women’s No. 1 Irina Krush (USA), and a 4-time U.S. Women’s Champion and former Ukrainian Women’s Champion Anna Zatokhskin (USA).
Cairns Chess Cup 2023 – Tournament schedule:
| Date | Time* | Event |
|---|---|---|
| June 3 | 1:00 PM | Round 1 |
| June 4 | 1:00 PM | Round 2 |
| June 5 | 1:00 PM | Round 3 |
| June 6 | 1:00 PM | Round 4 |
| June 7 | 1:00 PM | Round 5 |
| June 8 | Rest Day | Rest Day |
| June 9 | 1:00 PM | Round 6 |
| June 10 | 1:00 PM | Round 7 |
| June 11 | 1:00 PM | Round 8 |
| June 12 | 1:00 PM | Round 9 |
| June 13 | 1:00 PM | Playoffs (if necessary) |
*All times are Central Time (GMT-6)*
Prizes will be distributed as follows:
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | $45,000 | 6th | $10,000 |
| 2nd | $35,000 | 7th | $9,000 |
| 3rd | $25,000 | 8th | $8,000 |
| 4th | $20,000 | 9th | $7,000 |
| 5th | $15,000 | 10th | $6,000 |
| Total Prize Fund | $180,000 | ||
