Cairns Cup 2026 R3: Divya Deshmukh Beats Former World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk

by Devansh Singh - 13/08/2026

In the 3rd round of the Cairns Cup 2026, Divya Deshmukh defeated former Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk with black pieces. Divya secured an early opening advantage in a closed Sicilian Defence and converted it smoothly with black pieces. It was the only decisive result of the round, and now Divya is in second place with 2/3 points. The 4th round will start on 13th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Early Advantage

Playing with the black pieces, Divya manages to get the opening advantage in just 10 moves. The game started with the Closed Sicilian, and Kosteniuk took 20 minutes on move 10 and made a big inaccuracy. After that, Divya kept her Advantage to score this big win.

Alexandra Kosteniuk vs. Divya Deshmukh (0-1)

Position after 10.Qb3

Divya played b6 here, and white's pieces are already looking in awkward squares

Divya scores the only win of round 3

Vaishali drew against Stavroula Tsolakidou

Carissa Yip drew against Koneru Humpy

Alice Lee drew against Bibisara Assaubayeva to stay in joint lead

Anna Muzychuk drew against tournament leader Tan Zhongyi

Standings

Replay Round 3 Games

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.