Cairns Cup 2026: Tan Zhongyi Leads by One Point After Round 7

Tan Zhongyi leads the Cairns Cup 2026 chess tournament with 5.5/7, a point ahead of Bibisara Assaubayeva and Alice Lee, with two rounds left.

Tan Zhongyi is pulling away at the Cairns Cup 2026 in St. Louis. After seven rounds the Chinese grandmaster has 5.5 points, a full point ahead of Bibisara Assaubayeva and Alice Lee, who both have 4.5.

Tan won two more games in this stretch. In round 4 she beat Vaishali Rameshbabu in the English Opening. In round 7 she won with Black against Divya Deshmukh, who had chosen the sharp Vienna Gambit. In between she drew with Alice Lee and Alexandra Kosteniuk. She has not lost a game yet.

Alice Lee kept pace for a while. In round 6 she won with Black against Koneru Humpy, her third win of the event. But she lost in round 4 to Stavroula Tsolakidou, who used the London System to win in only 29 moves.

Bibisara Assaubayeva has climbed into a shared second place with two wins. She beat Alexandra Kosteniuk in 23 moves in round 4 and Stavroula Tsolakidou in round 7.

For the Indian players it has been a mixed event. Divya Deshmukh is on 3.5 after draws with Carissa Yip, Assaubayeva and Tsolakidou. Koneru Humpy and Vaishali have been solid, with several draws, but neither has found a win yet.

Tan Zhongyi's play offers a useful lesson. She has won with White and with Black, against very different openings, and she has not lost a single game. Steady, careful play over many rounds often beats flashy chess. Avoid unnecessary risks, take your chances when they come, and the points add up.

Two rounds remain. In round 8 Tan meets Assaubayeva, a game that could decide the title.