World’s Top Female Chess Players Return to Saint Louis for 2025 Cairns Cup

Saint Louis Chess Club to host elite international competitors in prestigious tournament featuring $250,000 — the largest prize fund in event history

SAINT LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Cairns Cup, an elite-level female chess tournament created by the Saint Louis Chess Club, returns to Saint Louis from June 10-20 with an expanded prize fund of $250,000. Named in honor of Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, the tournament reflects the organization's ongoing commitment to elevating girls and women in chess.

“It is an honor to once again welcome some of the world’s top female players to Saint Louis,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, co-founder of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Through events like the Cairns Cup, we aim to create greater opportunities for females in chess and inspire the next generation to compete, achieve, and lead in this timeless game.”

Launched in 2024 and running through July 4, 2029, the Saint Louis Chess Club is offering the Cairns Chess Queens Award — a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at encouraging more female chess players from the United States to achieve the Grandmaster (GM) title. A $100,000 prize will be awarded to any U.S. female player who earns the overall GM title within this five-year period. Up to five players will be recognized, with eligibility limited to female chess players who are American citizens or who become citizens before earning the title.

The 2025 Cairns Cup field will feature:

2025 Cairns Cup
Title	Name	Federation	Rating
GM	Humpy Koneru	India	2543
GM	Tan Zhongyi	China	2536
GM	Nana Dzagnidze	Georgia	2509
IM	Bibisara Assaubayeva	Kazakhstan	2494
GM	Mariya Muzychuk	Ukraine	2494
GM	Harika Dronavalli	India	2483
GM	Alina Kashlinskaya	Poland	2467
GM	Nino Batsiashvili	Georgia	2455
IM	Carissa Yip	United States	2412
IM	Alice Lee	United States	2389

“The Saint Louis Chess Club remains dedicated to advancing the game of chess at every level,” said Tony Rich, Technical Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “The Cairns Cup plays a vital role in fostering the growth of females in chess, offering a world-class stage where top talent can challenge themselves, gain critical experience, and inspire future generations.”

The tournament follows a prestigious ten-player round-robin format of classical chess, similar in format to the illustrious Sinquefield Cup. Games will be held at the World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries in the historic Central West End neighborhood where its latest exhibition — "Charles Houska: Master of Play" — will be on display during the tournament.

Each round of the Cairns Cup will be streamed live daily from June 10 to 20 at 12:20 p.m. CDT with expert commentary by Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Katerina Nemcova, WGM Almira Skripchenko and International Master (IM) Nazi Paikidze. International Arbiter (IA) Maya Myers will serve as Chief Arbiter and IA Anastasia Sorokina as Deputy Arbiter.

For more information and to watch the livestream, visit uschesschamps.com.

About the Saint Louis Chess Club

The 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.

Recognizing 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.