Organized for the second Cairns Cup, this exhibition contains highlights related to women’s chess from the collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF). Among the artifacts are objects related to important moments in women’s chess history, including Women’s World Chess Championships, Women’s Chess Olympiads, and many U.S. national championships held at the Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC). Several of the artifacts are related to competitors in the tournament, including Grandmasters Valentina Gunina, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Irina Krush and Woman Grandmaster Carissa Yip.
Inspired by its mission to further promote the game of chess to women and girls, the STLCC created the Cairns Cup, a nine-round classical chess tournament that brings together one of the strongest international fields ever assembled in women’s chess with one of the largest prize funds for an all-female tournament. The tournament is named in honor of STLCC co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, whose maiden name is Cairns. In addition to being the co-founder of the Club, Jeanne also played an instrumental role in creating the Scouts BSA Chess Merit Badge, which has been earned by over 170,000 scouts.
Artifacts Featured in the Exhibition
Lori Mattler of Lace Photography
Jeanne Sinquefield at the Scouts BSA Chess Merit Badge Launch
September 10, 2011
11 x 14 in., Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Lennart Ootes
Valentina Gunina, Winner of the 2019 Cairns Cup
2019
14 x 11 in., Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Justin Kellar
2019 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship Winner Jennifer Yu
2019
11 x 14 in., Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Crystal Fuller
Carissa Yip During Round 7 of the 2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior Chess Championship
July 18, 2019
11 x 14 in., Photograph
Collection of the Saint Louis Chess Club
Poster from the 1991 Women’s World Chess Championship Match, Manila, Philippines
September 25-November 2, 1991
20 ¾ x 14 ¾ in.
Paper
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Mark Rabkin
GM Maya Chiburdandize
Date unknown
7 ³⁄16 x 4 ¹¹⁄16 in.
Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Bill Hook
GM Xie Jun at the 1992 Chess Olympiad, Manila, Philippines
1992
6 x 4 in., Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame, gift of the U.S. Chess Center
Crystal Fuller
Valentina Gunina Before Round 5 of the 2019 Cairns Cup
2019
11 x 14 in., Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Spectrum Studios
GM Hou Yifan and GM Parimarjan Negi at the 2015 Showdown in Saint Louis
November 15, 2015
9 ½ x 14 in., Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Photographer unknown
GM Nona Gaprindashvili and WGM Alla Kushnir at the 1972 Women’s World Chess Championship, Riga, Latvia
1972
5 ½ x 3 ⅝ in., Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Gold Medal from the 2008 Mind Sports Games, Beijing, China
2008
2 ¾ in. diameter, Metal and cloth
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Chess Life, Vol. 47, No. 11
November 1992
10 ¾ x 8 ¼ in., Paper
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame, gift of Bill Merrell
Dream Team Calendar from the 2004 Chess Olympiad, Calvià, Majorca, Spain
2004
8 ½ x 11 in., Paper
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame, gift of John Donaldson
Austin Fuller
Scouts BSA Girls Merit Badge/Cairns Cup Community Day
February 3, 2019
8 x 10 in., Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Lennart Ootes
John Urschel vs. Rachael Li at the 2017 Ultimate Moves Match
August 19, 2017
9 ½ x 14 in., Photograph
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Studio Herbert Vandyk, Londres.
Vera Menchik, from Le Monde des Echecs
February 1933
9 ½ x 6 ¼ in., Paper
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame, gift of John Donaldson
Sports Illustrated, Vol. 15, No. 6
August 7, 1961
11 x 8 ½ in., Paper
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Poster from the Sixth Women’s Chess Olympiad, Medellin, Colombia
September 15 – October 7, 1974
19 ⅝ x 27 ¾ in., Paper
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
