IM Anna Zatonskih became the winner of the 2023 Cairns Cup. Anna secured the title with one round to spare, an impressive result considering she won three games with the black pieces during the tournament.
It was an intense and exciting final day of the event, with Zatonskih facing her longtime teammate and rival, GM Irina Krush. Despite already securing the event victory, Anna defended valiantly and managed to draw the longest game of the event on move 130, invoking the 50-moves rule. This draw sealed Anna’s undefeated run in the tournament and solidified her as the champion. It was truly an inspiring performance, especially considering she started as the last seed based on ratings.
For her remarkable achievement, Anna won the grand prize of $45,000. GM Alexandra Kosteniuk had an important win on the final day, securing sole second place in the tournament. GMs Bella Khotenashvili and Irina Krush shared third place.
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