Saint Louis Chess Club to Host Second Annual Cairns Cup from February 6-17, 2020

Saint Louis Chess Club to Host Second Annual Cairns Cup from February 6-17, 2020

The Highest-Rated All-Female Tournament in Chess History to Feature 
Top 10 Female Players with $180,000 Prize Fund

SAINT LOUIS, January, 15, 2020 - In what will be the highest-rated all-female tournament in chess history, the second annual Cairns Cup will be hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club from February 6-17, 2020. The world’s most elite female chess players will journey to Saint Louis - America’s Chess Capital - for the nine-round classical chess tournament created to showcase the best of women’s chess. Adding to the drama, the 2020 Cairns Cup prize fund has increased to $180,000, the largest sum for any women’s chess tournament outside of the Women’s World Championship. 

This year’s tournament field features women from seven different countries and consists of legendary champions, including the 2019 Cairns Cup winner Grandmaster Valentina Guinina, Women’s World Chess Champion GM Wenjun Ju, Women’s World Rapid Champion GM Humpy Koneru, Women's World Blitz Champion GM Kateryna Lagno and 7-time U.S. Women’s Champion GM Irina Krush. 

Inspired by its mission to further promote the game of chess to women and girls, the Saint Louis Chess Club created and named the Cairns Cup in honor of Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield’s maiden name. The tournament format is similar in style to the prestigious Sinquefield Cup, with the 10 best female players from around the world earning invitations to compete at the Saint Louis Chess Club’s renowned facility for the $180,000 prize fund. The top three finishers will receive $45,000, $35,000, and $25,000 respectively.

“Showcasing women’s chess at its highest level, while empowering women across the globe to pursue this sport, is the primary mission of the Cairns Cup,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, co-founder of the Saint Louis Chess Club.  “This year’s historic tournament not only features the best chess players in the world, but a prize fund worthy of the talent competing. The continued growth of the Cairns Cup in its second year is an indicator that women’s chess will continue to reach unprecedented heights in the years to come.”

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies and rounds will be streamed live daily from Feb. 6-17 at 1 p.m. Central Time with an expert commentary team including WGM Jennifer Shahade, GM Yasser Seirawan and GM Alejandro Ramirez, as well as a Russian language broadcast with IM Almira Skripchenko and WGM Anastasiya Karlovich on www.uschesschamps.com. Fans are also welcome to purchase tickets to the historic event by visiting uschesschamps.com or on-site at the Saint Louis Chess Club. Ticket holders will have access to watch players live in-person and enjoy live commentary by WGM Tatev Abrahamyan at Kingside Diner. Live commentary from Kingside Diner will also be available on twitch.tv/stlchessclub.

About The Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization 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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