KINGS POINT, N.Y.  October 17, 2024- Over Columbus Day Weekend, October 12 – 14, 2024, the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) Chess Team competed in the 2024 Armed Forces Open Chess Championship, held at the U. S. Naval Academy.

This annual event welcomes “Current, retired, and former members of the U.S. Military, Coast Guard, and other uniformed federal services, Cadets/Midshipmen attending one of the nation's military academies, and ROTC Cadets/Midshipmen attending a University where they are enrolled in the ROTC program.”

The tournament directors, Commander Robert Getty and Chief (World Chess Federation) FIDE Arbiter, Mr. Mike Hoffpauir, welcomed USMMA warmly to this year’s tournament, our 2^nd consecutive appearance, led by First Class Midshipmen Ethan Lister and Ely Blaisdell, and their Coach, Physics Professor, Kimani A. Stancil, Ph.D.

Although the top awards went to the U.S. Airforce Academy and the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) teams, the Kings Point team placed 3^rd amongst service academies, narrowly in front of the U.S. Naval and behind the U.S. Airforce academies.

Two players from last year’s team performed incredibly well in this tournament, the largest field (99 players, reported during the opening announcements) in the history of the U.S. Armed Forces Open Chess Championships.  According to coach, Prof. Dr. Kimani A. Stancil, ‘USMMA’s Chess Future is now!’  He reports that both 2^nd Class Midshipmen James Nash and Theodore Williams played well scoring 3 out of 5 wins.  Midshipman Nash won two individual awards – 1) The now named ‘Sir Francis Drake award for the Biggest Upset’; 2) the top player with a Class E rating.  Coach, as Dr. Stancil was affectionally called by other players at the tournament, observed that, ‘Midshipman Theodore Williams has improved significantly from last year, and fantastically beat a clever and resourceful player with checkmate threats arriving suddenly from at least 2 different directions – it was beautiful!’

2^nd Class Midshipmen Theodore Williams, and Harry Dozor received, separately, a chess book of their choice for their efforts. The team was anchored by strong new team members. Coach says,’1^st Class Midshipmen Ethan Lister and Ely Blaisdell played a very neat attacking gem, and an amazing draw respectively’.  Additionally, ‘2^nd Class Midshipmen, Matthew Wachendorfer, and Eagle Thomaston improved their chess thinking and are ready to study, more closely, their wins, losses, and draws.  3^rd Class Midshipmen Jason Equiano, and Emile Richoux have a flare for winning in style as evidenced by the checkmating attacks they exacted on their unsuspecting opponents’.  All 9 team members won at least 1 game, and according to Coach Stancil, ‘...many wins were completed in a very interesting way – by inspiration and calculation!’ 

Results can be found at the website of the Virginia Chess Federation (vachess.org).

On behalf of KP Chess, Coach Stancil welcomes all of the USMMA community, including alumni, parents, administrators, faculty, staff and students to support, and to get involved with KP chess, and to cheer as they move towards gaining the top military team prize at the 2025 U.S. Amateur Team tournament in February!