Tan Zhongyi commented on her victory at the Cairns Cup 2026. Zhongyi says success is about more than what happens over-the-board, and thanks her second American GM Jeffery Xiong.

Tan Zhongyi

Tan Zhongyi

China's Women's No. 5

“Winning the Cairns Cup for the second time is very special to me, and I’m proud to be the only player to have achieved that.

I believe success is about more than what happens over-the-board. Having a supportive network of friends and a strong team around me makes a big difference. I’m especially grateful to my second, GM Jeffery Xiong, who I spent time with in Dallas preparing for this tournament.

I was also able to fully adjust to the time zone in advance, which I felt was very beneficial to my performance. I’m very happy to have won the tournament and grateful to everyone who supported me along the way!”

The Cairns Cup 2026 takes place from August 10 to 19, at the Saint Louis Chess Club in Missouri, USA. Tan Zhongyi won the event with 6.5/9 points. Zhongyi earned $65,000 for the tournament.

Credit: Lennart Ootes