Cairns Cup

Saint Louis Chess Club hosted Cairns Cup, an elite  tournament for the top female players from around the world. Inspired by its mission to further promote the game of chess to women and girls, the Chess Club aptly chose the name Cairns Cup in honor of co-founder Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield’s maiden name.
The tournament, a nine-round classical event, ten players and one of the largest prize funds [$150,000] for a woman’s tournaments. The top three finishers will receive $40,000, $30,000, and $20,000 .

GM Valentina Gunina {left} this year’s champion in action in round one against GM Bela Khotenashvili ..

Rd1 Gunina (2501) -Khotenashvili (2491)  1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 d6 7. c3 O-O 8. Nbd2 Re8 9. Re1 Bf8 10. Nf1 h6 11. Ng3 b5 12. Bc2 d5 13. exd5 Qxd5 14. d4 Bg4 15. Bb3 Qd7 16. h3 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 exd4 18. Bxh6 d3 19. Bg5 Nh7 20. Bf4 Na5 21. Bd5 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Rd8 23. Be4 Nc4 24. b3 Nb2 25. Bd2 Nf6 26. Bc6 Qd6 27. Nf5 Qc5 28. Bb7 a5 29. Nh6+ gxh6 30. Qxf6 Rd6 31. Qf3 c6 32. Re8 Rg6 33. h4 Qd6 34. Bc8 Qd5 35. Qh3 Qh5 36. g4 Qd5 37. h5 Rf6 38. g5 hxg5 39. h6 Qd6 40. h7+ Kh8 41. Bf5 Rh6 42. Qg3 Qxg3+ 43. fxg3 Kg7 44. Rxf8 Kxf8 45. Bxg5 Rh5 46. g4 Rxg5 47. h8=Q+ Ke7 48. Qh2 1-0

Rd4 Dzagnidze ( 2513) – Gunina (2501) 0-1

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O Bc5 8. Qg3 O-O 9. e5 Nfd7 10. Kh1 f6 11. exf6 Nxf6 12. d3 Nbd7 13. Be3 Qe7 14. d4 Bb4 15. Bd3 e5 16. dxe5 Nxe5 17. Qh4 Bd6 18. Bd4 Nxd3 19. cxd3 Rae8 20. Qg5 a6 21. g3 Nd7 22. Qxe7 Rxe7 23. Kg2 Rfe8 24. f4 Bc5 25. Bxc5 Nxc5 26. Rad1 d4 27. b4 Nd7 28. Ne4 Nb6 29. Rf2 Nd5 30. Rb1 h5 31. a3 Nf6 32. Re1 Nxe4 33. Rfe2 Kf7 34. Rxe4 Rxe4 35. dxe4 b6 36. Kf3 Ke6 37. Rc1 Kd6 38. Rc4 c5 39. bxc5+ bxc5 40. Ra4 Ra8 41. Ke2 Kc6 42. Kd3 a5 43. Kc4 Kb6 44. Kd3 g6 45. h4 Kc6 46. Kc4 Ra7 47. e5 Ra8 48. Kd3 Kd5 49. Kc2 c4 50. e6 Kc5 51. e7 Kb5 0-1

Rd7 Zatonskih (2428) – Gunina (2501) 0-1

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. e3 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Bxd7+ Qxd7 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. O-O O-O 10. b3 Nc6 11. Bb2 Ne4 12. Nc3 Rad8 13. Rc1 Qe7 14. Re1 a6 15. Qc2 Nb4 16. Qb1 f5 17. a3 Nc6 18. b4 Ba7 19. Rcd1 Qf7 20. b5 axb5 21. Nxb5 Bb8 22. Nc3 h6 23. Qc2 g5 24. g3 Rd7 25. Nd4 Nxd4 26. Rxd4 Be5 27. Nxe4 Bxd4 28. Nxg5 hxg5 29. Bxd4 Rc7 30. Qd2 Re8 31. Rb1 Kh7 32. Rb5 Rec8 33. Bb2 Rc5 34. Rxc5 Rxc5 35. Qd4 Rc4 36. Qe5 Re4 37. Qh8+ Kg6 38. h4 gxh4 39. gxh4 f4 40. exf4 Re8 41. Qc3 Kh6 42. Kf1 Qg6 43. Qg3 Kh7 44. Be5 Qb1+ 45. Ke2 Qc2+ 46. Ke3 d4+ 47. Kf3 Qd3+ 48. Kg2 Rg8 0-1

Final Results 

Runner up GM Alexndra Kosteniuk collects 30k for her efforts..

Rd1 Paehtz(2466) – Kosteniuk (2638) 0-1

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Bg2 Bg7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Bf4 h6 11. Re1 g5 12. Bd2 Bf5 13. h4 g4 14. Nh2 Qb6 15. e4 Bg6 16. e5 dxe5 17. Nxg4 Nxg4 18. Qxg4 f5 19. Qe2 Nd7 20. h5 Bh7 21. g4 e4 22. gxf5 Bxf5 23. Bf4 Nf6 24. d6 Kh7 25. Qd2 Qc6 26. Rad1 Rad8 27. Nd5 Nxh5 28. Bh2 Bd4 29. Ne7 Rxe7 30. dxe7 Rg8 31. e8=Q Qxe8 32. Kh1 Rxg2 33. Kxg2 Qg6+ 34. Bg3 Bg4 35. Qc1 Bf3+ 36. Kh2 Nxg3 0-1

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