2026 Cairns Cup

One of the strongest female super-tournaments in the world returns in 2026 with the sixth edition of the Cairns Cup! This elite tournament features ten of the best female chess players from around the world as they compete for a $250,000 prize fund, the largest in the event’s history. The Cairns Cup shares its format with other prestigious events like the illustrious Sinquefield Cup; a ten player, nine round, round-robin format of traditional classical chess. It also shares the venue in Saint Louis, at the renovated Saint Louis Chess Club located in the historic Central West End neighborhood.

Inspired by its mission to further promote the game of chess to women, the STLCC chose the name Cairns Cup in honor of co-founder Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield’s maiden name. In 2024, Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield created the Cairns Chess Queens Award, a $100,000 award granted to any woman in the United States to achieve the title of Grandmaster. Learn more about this award by clicking here.

Fans of the tournament locally and abroad can tune-in to the Saint Louis Chess Club’s professional commentary team, as they provide their own moment-to-moment coverage available online, on the STLCC’s Youtube and Twitch channels.