RAF Wittering News

Armed Forces Chess Championships Held At RAF Wittering

RAF Wittering hosted the 2023 UK Armed Forces Chess Championships on Friday 14th to Monday 17th April.

More than eighty competitors attended the event which is held annually at different UK military bases. The tournament is open to all members of the regular Armed Forces, Reserves, MOD Civil Service and Veterans. Several titles were up for grabs including the overall Armed Forces Champion, single Service Champions, MOD Civil Service Champion, and Veterans Champion.

Chess Grandmaster Keith Arkell playing simultaneous matches at the Armed Forces Chess Championships
Chess Grandmaster Keith Arkell playing simultaneous matches at the Armed Forces Chess Championships
Image By: Supplied Image

The tournament, last held at RAF Wittering in 2013, is also used to select the British team who will compete in the Annual NATO Chess Championship, taking place this September in Slovenia.

Chess has grown in popularity over recent years, both in the military and the population at large, in part due to popular Netflix drama ‘The Queens Gambit.’

Chairman of the Armed Forces Chess Association, Flt Lt Ben Woolf said: “Many thanks to all the staff at RAF Wittering who enabled the successful running of our largest Armed Forces Chess Championships to date. All competitors had an excellent time, and we hope to be back next year.”

Chess Grandmaster Keith Arkell was invited as a special guest to play thirty-three simultaneous matches in an icebreaker social event before the tournament officially began. He is currently ranked 25th best British chess player.

Chess Grandmaster Keith Arkell at the Armed Forces Chess Championships
Chess Grandmaster Keith Arkell at the Armed Forces Chess Championships
Image By: Supplied Image

The trophy winners were: Overall Armed Forces Champion, Warrant Officer 2 Dave Onley; Army Champion, Warrant Officer 2 Dave Onley; Royal Navy Champion, Officer Cadet William Bradley; Royal Air Force Champion, Flight Sergeant Paul Officer; MOD Civil Service Champion, Mr Daniel Wells; the Veteran Champion, Mr Kevin Thurlow; and the Blitz Champion (5 minutes each per game) was Wing Commander Glen Parker.

The 2023 Blitz Champion Wg Cdr Glen Parker
The 2023 Blitz Champion Wg Cdr Glen Parker
Image By: Supplied Image

Tournament organiser Sergeant Jimmy Blair said: “The tournament was a tremendous success and a big thank you to our guest Chess Grandmaster Keith Arkell. All being well the tournament will be held at RAF Wittering next year, even bigger and better!”

Wing Commander Nikki Duncan, RAF Wittering’s Station Commander, who played the opening move to signify the start of the tournament, said: “RAF Wittering is delighted to have been able to host the UK Armed Forces Chess Championships this year, especially as it has been the most successful to date. We are certainly looking forward to the prospect of being able to invite the competitors back again next year.”

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