Recaps

2023 Cairns Cup - Day 5 Recap

 

The start of the day was marred by the unfortunate withdrawal of GM Humpy Koneru, who had to leave the tournament due to medical (non-COVID) issues. According to tournament regulations, Koneru’s results in the event will be annulled and won’t affect the final standings, but the games she played will still be FIDE rated.

2023 Cairns Cup - Day 4 Recap

The tournament blew wide open today after both leaders lost their games, with IM Anna Zatonskih defeating GM Alexandra Kosteniuk to take the sole lead and GM Bella Khotenashvili scoring a big victory over GM Irina Krush. Meanwhile Dronavalli - Mammadzada and Paehtz - Abdumalik was drawn, and Dzagnidze managed to swindle Koneru in a sharp time scramble

2023 Cairns Cup - Day 3 Recap

8-time U.S. Women’s Champion GM Irina Krush joined GM Alexandra Kosteniuk in the lead after defeating GM Nana Dzagnidze in a nice endgame. The other games saw draws between Mammadzada - Kosteniuk, Zatonskih - Paehtz, and Koneru - Dronavalli, while GM Bella Khotenashvili scored her first win of the event against a struggling GM Zhansaya Abdumalik

2023 Cairns Cup - Day 2 Recap

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk jumped out to a stellar 2/2 after defeating GM Harika Dronavalli in another dramatic round which saw four decisive games. Scoring their first wins were GMs Elisabeth Paehtz, Nana Dzagnidze, and IM Anna Zatonskih, who nearly allowed a miraculous escape.

2023 Cairns Cup - Day 1 Recap

The third edition of the Cairns Cup kicked off today in Saint Louis as ten of the world’s top female players began to battle it out for their share of the $180,000 prize fund. The tournament got off to a stunning start as former Women’s World Champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated top seed and reigning Cairns Cup champion GM Humpy Koneru. Meanwhile GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Irina Krush, and IM Gunay Mammadzada all won their first round games as well.

2023 American Cup - Day 10 Recap

Hikaru Nakamura pulled through to become the 2023 American Cup Champion after defeating Wesley So 2.5-1.5 in a difficult final Elimination Match. The finale started out with three solid draws, but finished abruptly in the fourth game after a blunder by So got his queen trapped inside Nakamura’s territory.

2023 American Cup - Day 9 Recap

8-time U.S. Champion Irina Krush bounced back from a loss in classical to defeat a surging Alice Lee in a rapid playoff and win her second straight American Cup title. Meanwhile Wesley So won a playoff on-demand against Hikaru Nakamura in order to force a final Elimination Match in the American Cup tomorrow.

2023 American Cup - Day 8 Recap

The 2023 American Cup Finals kicked off in exciting fashion with the first games between Hikaru Nakamura vs. Wesley So and Irina Krush vs. Alice Lee. In the Open, Nakamura sacrificed his queen for two rooks in a roller-coaster game that would ultimately end in a draw. Meanwhile Krush took a 1-0 lead after winning a very sharp first game as White.

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