Tan Zhongyi Convincingly Wins 6th Cairns Cup 2026

by Devansh Singh - 21/08/2026

GM Tan Zhongyi from China scored 6.5/9 points to win the 6th Edition of the Cairns Cup 2026. Zhongyi was leading the tournament from the start, and in the final round she had a full point lead over Alice Lee. A draw was enough for her to win the title, but unfortunately she lost the game against Stavroula Tsolakidou. Alice Lee could have caught her, but her game ended in a draw, and Tan Zhongyi won the tournament with a half-point lead. This is Zhongyi's 2nd Cairns Cup title, and she won $65,000. Photos: Lennart Ootes

“Success is about more than what happens over the board"

“Winning the Cairns Cup for the second time is very special to me, and I’m proud to be the only player to have achieved that,” said GM Tan Zhongyi. “I believe success is about more than what happens over the board. Having a supportive network of friends and a strong team around me makes a big difference. I’m especially grateful to my second, GM Jeffery Xiong, who I spent time with in Dallas preparing for this tournament. I was also able to fully adjust to the time zone in advance, which I felt was very beneficial to my performance. I’m very happy to have won the tournament and grateful to everyone who supported me along the way.”

Champion: Tan Zhongyi (CHN)

IM Alice Lee of the United States finished in second place, earning $50,000 and picking up her first Grandmaster Norm.

Alice Lee drew against Carissa Yip

In the final round, Koneru Humpy drew against Bibisara Assaubayeva

Vaishali would love to forget the results of this tournament as she finished in last place after losing against Alexandra Kosteniuk

Zhongyi lost the final game, but it did not matter that much as eventually the title is hers

Results

Standings

Replay Final Round Games

“Congratulations to Tan Zhongyi on a commanding performance and a well-deserved second Cairns Cup title,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, co-founder of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Tan demonstrated tremendous skill, determination and consistency throughout the tournament, and it was a pleasure to watch her compete at such a high level. We are thrilled to celebrate this remarkable achievement with her and all of the players who made this year’s Cairns Cup such an exciting event.”

Photo Gallery: GCT

About the 2026 Cairns Cup

One of the strongest female super-tournaments in the world returns in 2026 with the sixth edition of the Cairns Cup, running concurrently with the Sinquefield Cup at the Saint Louis Chess Club from August 8–21. Tournament play runs August 10–19, featuring ten of the world’s top female players competing across nine rounds of classical chess for a historic $250,000 prize fund. Inspired by its mission to promote chess to women, the tournament was named in honor of club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield’s maiden name.

The Field

Playing Field | Photo: Crystal Fuller / Saint Louis Chess Club

The 10-player lineup features an elite international field: Humpy Koneru, Tan Zhongyi, Anna Muzychuk, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Carissa Yip, Stavroula Tsolakidou, and Alice Lee.

Schedule

Prize Fund

The total prize fund is $250,000, representing the largest prize purse in the history of the Cairns Cup.

How to Watch

Follow every round with professional commentary led by Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan on the Saint Louis Chess Club's YouTube channel and on Twitch. For spectators in Saint Louis, day passes include standing-room access to both the Sinquefield Cup and Cairns Cup playing halls, live Grandmaster commentary, and complimentary food, snacks, and beverages.

Format

The Cairns Cup is a 10-player, 9-round single round-robin classical tournament. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one. Players receive 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.

Venue: Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club stands as the premier global destination for competitive play, anchoring Saint Louis as the “Chess Capital of the United States.” This state-of-the-art facility features a world-class tournament hall designed to accommodate everyone from local enthusiasts to legendary Grandmasters. As a non-profit educational organization, the club serves as the prestigious home for all major U.S. Championship events as well as the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, the Sinquefield Cup, the Cairns Cup and more.