Cairns Cup 2026 R6: Alice Lee Scores a win against Koneru Humpy

by Devansh Singh - 17/08/2026

Alice Lee defeated Koneru Humpy in the 6th round of the Cairns Cup 2026. The sixth round was played after the rest day on 15th August, and this was the only decisive result of the round. IM Carissa Yip missed a crucial chance against Bibisara Assaubayeva. Vaishali made a solid draw against Anna Muzychuk. Divya had some practical chances against Stavroula Tsolakidou. Tan Zhongyi is still leading the field with 4.5/6. The 7th round will start on 17th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Divya to Face Zhongyi

In the 6th round, Koneru Humpy was in a clearly winning position but made a 1-move blunder and lost to Alice Lee. Meanwhile, Divya drew against Stavroula, and now she is going to face Tan Zhongyi. Currently, Zhongyi is leading with 4.5/6, while Divya is on 3.5/6, so this round can be crucial for both players.

Alice Lee climbs up to 2nd place

Black to play and win

Humpy just played Qg4 attacking the g7 pawn, but she missed a 1-move tactic; can you find it

Alice during her game with humpy

Stavroula drew against Divya

Zhongyi drew against Kosteniuk

Carissa Yip drew against Bibisara Assaubayeva

Results

Standings

Replay Round 6 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.