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AFDW Airman is best at chess, leads AF team to victory

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Gregg Johnson
  • 89th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
AIR FORCE DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON, D.C. --  An Air Force District of Washington Airman has proven himself as the best chess player in the Air Force and led the Air Force team to victory over their sister services.

Senior Airman Kiel Russell, 89th Communications Squadron technician, won the title of top active-duty player in the Air Force at the U.S. Armed Forces Open Chess Tournament Oct. 9-11. Additionally, Russell won the deciding match of the tournament, securing first place for the Air Force chess team.

"It was very stressful. It got to a point where I couldn't make any mistakes," said Russell. "You could hear a pin drop in there. There was complete silence."

The stress isn't new to this Airman; he began playing chess in 2004 as a freshman at Oregon State University.

"I just saw some people playing and they let me sit down and play," he said. "At first I got beat a lot, but after that I started to study and develop as a player and I started winning more and more. Once you get started you can't stop."

Combining his love of chess and the Air Force came after mentorship from a retired senior NCO - Chief Master Sgt. Neil McGillicuddy.

"He really pushed me," said Russell. "I mentioned I was pretty good at chess and he told me about the chess team and how it was an opportunity to represent the Air Force and compete."

Russell's high United States Chess Federation rating earned him a spot on the Air Force Chess Team in May 2010. There, he was one of six individuals chosen to represent the Air Force.

"Playing chess in the Air Force has given me the opportunity to meet people on active duty that I would not have had the opportunity to meet, who share a passion for chess," Russell said.

The combined efforts of Russell and his teammates won them first place at the Armed Forces Inter-Service Championship June 13-16.

"Playing chess takes both mental and physical stamina," Russell said. "At the Armed Forces open I played three games, totaling 13 hours. While playing, you must be able to concentrate and you can't make a single mistake for the four to five hours that it takes to complete a game. Conditioning is very important."

The single longest chess match Russell competed in lasted six hours with no breaks. To keep his skills sharp through long matches like those, Russell practices atleast an hour every day, studying positions, opening moves, and end-games tactics.

Despite the intensity of the tournaments, Russell doesn't need the pieces to get the practice in.

"My memory allows me to see the game in my mind," said Russell. "I can walk around playing the game in my head without having the board in front of me."

Russell looks forward to honing his skills in the upcoming National Chess Congress Nov. 25-27. At the next Armed Forces Inter-Service Championship in May, the Air Force Chess Team will also have a chance to compete on the NATO U.S. chess team, which is the pinnacle of chess tournaments for active-duty military members.