D-M Airman repeats as Air Force chess champion

Published April 9, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Jake Richmond
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Tech. Sgt. Robert Keough from the 563rd Operations Support Squadron here won the 2009 Air Force Chess Tournament at Wright-Patterson AFB April 3 - his second consecutive victory at the service-wide competition and his fifth in the last eight years.

"It feels great," he said. "Last year, the competition was a lot closer, and I barely won. This year, I was able to enjoy a comfortable lead, probably thanks to increased studying, competition in local tournaments, and the D-M Chess Club."

Sixteen active-duty Air Force members from around the globe played in this year's tournament. And Sergeant Keough wasn't the only D-M Airman to stand out - Tech. Sgt. Jason Mueller of the 42nd Electronic Combat Squadron here placed fifth. Both of them qualified to compete in the Department of Defense tournament, which will be held May 3-9 at Fort Benning, Ga. Six players from each military branch will vie for the DOD title.

With this most recent competition, Sergeant Keough and Sergeant Mueller added to their friendly rivalry, which dates back to 2004. That's when Sergeant Mueller participated in his first Air Force tournament, finishing in second place. His only loss was to Sergeant Keough.

Going into the 2009 tournament, Sergeant Mueller had the distinction of having the highest U.S. Chess Federation rating among all sixteen of the participants. That technically made him the favorite when he sat down across the chess board from Sergeant Keough in this year's matchup.

So, what happened?

"We had a good game," Sergeant Mueller said, "but he just beat me. I might be rated higher on paper, but we're dead-even from a practical standpoint. We always have good games."

The two actually met on a 1996 deployment, where Sergeant Keough piqued Sergeant Mueller's interest in military chess tournaments. It took several years before Sergeant Mueller could dedicate the time to serious competition, and he's only mildly satisfied with his fifth-place finish in this year's tournament.

"Considering I was a little rusty, I'd say I did okay," Sergeant Mueller said. "I did have the toughest draw, since I was the top seed, but I got lucky in a couple of games."

He said he intends to seriously prepare for the DOD tournament right around the corner. "I'll probably practice my opening strategies," Sergeant Mueller said. "That's what's most helpful for a lot of chess players - practicing your first 10 moves or so."

After the annual inter-service tournament, the DOD sends six servicemembers to the NATO Chess Championship, scheduled for June 15-19 in Hammelburg, Germany. The team typically comprises the top chess player from each branch of service, plus the next two best-rated players from any service. Sergeant Keough has participated in the NATO tournament three times.

One of the most experienced chess players in the Air Force, Sergeant Keough said he took a liking to the game as a young boy, recalling how he thought of it as just a more interesting and strategic version of a kids' board game. He soon realized he was genuinely good at it.

"While I was on my high school chess team, I was routinely beating adults," Sergeant Keough said. "So, I started competing in tournaments and winning them."

Still, despite his talents, he said he wouldn't be able to compete without support from his chain of command.

"I want to thank my supervisors, Maj. Jose Jimenez and Lt. Col. Christopher Prejean, for supporting me in this competition and giving me the time to prove myself," Sergeant Keough said. "I also get so much support from my wife Sarah."

Sergeant Mueller was also glad that he's able to take some time away from a busy career to participate in the tournaments this year.

"The competition almost becomes addictive," he said. "I'm always trying to improve my game, always trying to find the truth. It's like a puzzle. Some people get really stressed out during their matches, but for me it's a stress-reliever."

Both Sergeant Keough and Sergeant Mueller are members of the D-M Chess Club, which holds weekly gatherings every Tuesday at 5 p.m. To find out how to join, call the community center at 228-3717.