{"id":33678,"date":"2026-07-09T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?guid=2c57ad6710399372b48c290a29975515"},"modified":"2026-07-09T19:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T17:00:00","slug":"worlds-top-women-chess-field-announced-for-2026-cairns-cup-in-saint-louis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?p=33678","title":{"rendered":"World’s Top Women Chess Field Announced for 2026 Cairns Cup in Saint Louis"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nOne of the world's strongest women's super-tournaments returns August 8\u201321 with one of the largest prize funds in women's chess<\/i><\/p>

SAINT LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One of the world's strongest women's super-tournaments returns to Saint Louis this summer as the 2026 Cairns Cup<\/a> welcomes 10 of the world's top women chess players to compete for a $250,000 prize fund\u2014one of the largest in women's chess.<\/p>

\nThe tournament will take place August 8\u201321 at the recently expanded Saint Louis Chess Club<\/a> (STLCC), where it will run alongside the prestigious Sinquefield Cup<\/a>, creating one of the world's premier showcases of elite chess.<\/p>

\nLike the Sinquefield Cup, the Cairns Cup features a ten-player, nine-round classical round-robin format, widely regarded as one of the most demanding tests in professional chess. The sixth edition of the tournament continues Saint Louis' tradition of hosting the world's elite players while advancing opportunities for women in the game.<\/p>

\nNamed in honor of STLCC co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, the Cairns Cup reflects the STLCC\u2019s commitment to growing women's chess and inspiring the next generation of champions. Furthering that mission, Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield established the Cairns Chess Queens Award<\/a> in 2024, a first-of-its-kind initiative offering a $100,000 award to any eligible U.S. woman who earns the Grandmaster (GM) title during the program's five-year period ending July 4, 2029.<\/p>

\n\"It is an honor to once again welcome some of the world's top women players to Saint Louis,\" said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, co-founder of the STLCC. \"Through events like the Cairns Cup, we aim to create greater opportunities for women in chess and inspire the next generation to compete, achieve and lead in this timeless game.\"<\/p>

\nThe 2026 Cairns Cup will feature a star-studded field that includes three former Women\u2019s World Champions, reigning Cairns Cup Champion International Master (IM) Carissa Yip, 2026 FIDE Women's World Champion Challenger GM Vaishali Rameshbabu, former Women's World Chess Champion and 2026 World Chess Hall of Fame inductee Alexandra Kosteniuk, and three-time Women's World Blitz Champion and Guinness World Record holder for youngest Women's World Blitz Champion, GM Bibisara Assaubayeva.<\/p>

\nThe complete field includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n2026 Cairns Cup<\/b><\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\n\n\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\nTitle<\/b><\/p><\/td>

\nName<\/b><\/p><\/td>

\nFederation<\/b><\/p><\/td>

\nRating*<\/b><\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\n\n\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\nIM<\/p><\/td>

\nCarissa Yip<\/p><\/td>

\nUnited States<\/p><\/td>

\n2484<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\nGM<\/p><\/td>

\nHumpy Koneru<\/p><\/td>

\nIndia<\/p><\/td>

\n2535<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\nGM<\/p><\/td>

\nTan Zhongyi<\/p><\/td>

\nChina<\/p><\/td>

\n2535<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\nGM<\/p><\/td>

\nAnna Muzychuk<\/p><\/td>

\nUkraine<\/p><\/td>

\n2522<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\nGM<\/p><\/td>

\nBibisara Assaubayeva<\/p><\/td>

\nKazakhstan<\/p><\/td>

\n2516<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\nGM<\/p><\/td>

\nDivya Deshmukh<\/p><\/td>

\nIndia<\/p><\/td>

\n2510<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\nGM<\/p><\/td>

\nAlexandra Kosteniuk<\/p><\/td>

\nSwitzerland<\/p><\/td>

\n2487<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\nIM<\/p><\/td>

\nStavroula Tsolakidou<\/p><\/td>

\nGreece<\/p><\/td>

\n2479<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\nGM<\/p><\/td>

\nVaishali Rameshbabu<\/p><\/td>

\nIndia<\/p><\/td>

\n2470<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\nIM<\/p><\/td>

\nAlice Lee<\/p><\/td>

\nUnited States<\/p><\/td>

\n2415<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n

\n\n\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n* March FIDE ratings<\/i><\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n<\/table>

\n\"The STLCC remains dedicated to advancing the game of chess at every level,\" said Yasser Seirawan, Chief Commentator and Spokesperson for the STLCC. \"The Cairns Cup plays a vital role in fostering the growth of women in chess, offering a world-class stage where top talent can challenge themselves, gain critical experience and inspire future generations.\"<\/p>

\nFans around the world can follow the daily round of the Cairns Cup live August 10\u201320 through the STLCC\u2019s Youtube<\/a> and Twitch<\/a> channels. Coverage will feature expert commentary hosted by Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Almira Skripchenko and IM Nazi Paikidze. International Arbiter (IA) Maya Myers will serve as Chief Arbiter, with IA Karen Pennock as Deputy Arbiter.<\/p>

\nChess fans in the Saint Louis area will also have the opportunity to experience the excitement live in person at the STLCC. Spectators tickets can be purchased<\/a> and will include access to the tournament, a hospitality lounge with complimentary food and beverages and daily grandmaster analysis.<\/p>

\nWhile in town for the Cairns Cup, spectators are encouraged to make the most of their visit to America\u2019s chess capital by stopping by the World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries<\/a> to explore \u201c<\/a>Game Plan: The Strategy of Chess & Sports,\u201d<\/a> a new exhibition that explores the deep and often surprising connections between chess and sports\u2014revealing how strategy, discipline, preparation and competitive spirit unite the physical and mental arenas of play.<\/p>

\nFor more information, livestream details and event updates, visit the STLCC website<\/a>.<\/p>

\nAbout the Saint Louis Chess Club<\/b><\/p>

\nThe Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is 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.<\/p>

\nRecognizing 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 www.saintlouischessclub.org<\/a>.<\/p> Contacts<\/b>

\nMedia Contact:<\/b>press@saintlouischessclub.org<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the world’s strongest women’s super-tournaments returns August 8\u201321 with one of the largest prize funds in women’s chessSAINT LOUIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–One of the world’s strongest women’s super-tournaments returns to Saint Louis this summer as t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infos-businesswire"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33678"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33679,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33678\/revisions\/33679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}