Top Female Chess Players to Compete in Cairns Cup in Saint Louis
23 Mayo 2024 - 8:51AM
Business Wire
Saint Louis Chess Club to host elite
international players in tournament that offers one of the largest
chess prize funds for women
The Cairns Cup, an elite-level female chess tournament created
by the Saint Louis Chess Club, returns this June and will feature
ten of the world's best female chess players. Named in honor of
Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield,
the tournament reflects the Club’s mission to promote the game of
chess among women.
As one of the premier women’s tournaments globally, the
ten-player round robin tournament will be hosted at the World Chess
Hall of Fame from June 12 to 23. This year’s event boasts one of
the strongest female fields, competing for an increased total prize
fund of $200,000.
The event kicks off on Wednesday, June 12 with the Ultimate
Moves, a fun and casual exhibition event featuring 82-year-old
Women’s World Chess Champion Nona Gaprindashvili from Georgia and
the Cairns Cup field.
“We are proud to again organize an elite international chess
tournament created to provide more opportunities for female chess
players,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, Co-founder of the
Saint Louis Chess Club. “We hope by providing a world-class
facility and a competitive prize fund, we will help inspire more
women to play chess on a competitive level.”
The 2024 Cairns Cup field will feature:
TITLE
NAME
FIDE RATING
FEDERATION
GM
Tan Zhongyi
2540
CHN
GM
Mariya Muzychuk
2510
UKR
GM
Nana Dzagnidze
2506
GEO
GM
Anna Muzychuk
2505
UKR
GM
Harika Dronavalli
2503
IND
GM
Alexandra Kosteniuk
2501
SUI
IM
Sarasadat Khademalsharieh
2489
ESP
GM
Irina Krush
2415
USA
IM
Alice Lee
2368
USA
IM
Anna Zatonskih
2331
USA
“The Saint Louis Chess Club continues to innovate in promoting
the game of chess,” said Tony Rich, Technical Director of the Saint
Louis Chess Club. “Events like the Cairns Cup are crucial for the
development of American women in chess. They provide a platform for
our talented players to compete against the world's best, gaining
invaluable experience and inspiration.”
Each round of the Cairns Cup will be streamed live daily from
June 13 to 23 at 1 p.m. CT with the expert commentary team of
Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan and International Masters Jovanka
Houska and Nazi Paikidze.
In addition, Gaprindashvili will be an honored guest at the
opening ceremony as part of her world chess tour. She will also
host an all-girls simul event at the World Chess Hall of Fame
(WCHOF), where she will simultaneously play multiple games at a
time, encouraging young girls along the way. Gaprindashvili will
also appear at “Ladies Knight” on Thursday, June 13 at the World
Chess Hall of Fame from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Gaprindashvili, a living chess legend, was the women's world
chess champion from 1962 to 1978, and in 1978, she became the first
woman ever to be awarded the International Chess Federation (FIDE)
title of grandmaster. Gaprindashvili is also an inductee to the
World Chess Hall of Fame.
The Cairns Cup will be hosted at the WCHOF, the leading chess
cultural center in the country, where the all-new exhibition “Clash
for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions," is currently on
display.
The exhibition is being held in conjunction with the
100th-anniversary celebration of the FIDE and explores the
histories of the World Chess Championship and Women’s World Chess
Championship through a display of artifacts from the collection of
the WCHOF, FIDE and loans and donations from world chess champions
and women’s world chess champions including World No. 1 Magnus
Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Susan Polgar,
as well as private lenders.
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.
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Rebecca Buffington Phone: (314) 277-3920
press@saintlouischessclub.org