Kazakh chess player Bibisara Assaubayeva suffered her first defeat at the international Cairns Cup 2026 tournament, held in St. Louis, USA, reports infohub.kz.
In the eighth round, the Kazakh grandmaster played black against former women's world champion Tan Zhongyi from China. The game ended in a victory for the Chinese player.
After eight rounds, Assaubayeva has 4.5 points. She has won two games, drawn five, and lost one. The Kazakh player shares third-fourth place with American Carissa Yip.
Tan Zhongyi has become the early leader of the Cairns Cup with 6.5 points. Second place is held by Alice Lee from the USA with 5.5 points.
In the final, ninth round, Assaubayeva will play white against Humpy Koneru from India. A win would keep her chances of finishing in the top three.
The Cairns Cup 2026 is held in St. Louis from August 12 to 21. After the final round, an awards ceremony will take place.