Raider competes for third time in 2024 NATO Chess Championship

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dylan Maher
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Semi-professional chess player and Ellsworth’s 28th Munitions Squadron armament support member Senior Airman Charles Unruh is preparing for the 34th North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Chess Championship held in Rhodes, Greece from Oct 20-26, 2024.

Marking this down as his third appearance in the international level competition, Unruh is set to join teams from around the world for a week to compete in multiple rounds of chess matches and learn from fellow NATO Allies and partners.

“Chess can be thought of as a fight and a marathon,” said Unruh. “You’re constantly calculating, looking out for different tactics, maintaining your mental energy, and trying to formulate a plan that will give you the edge.”

With the help of Unruh, United States took 3rd place during the 2022 NATO Chess Championship, hosted in Tartu, Estonia. Unruh looks forward to attending this game as it marks his fourth time travelling overseas during his military career.

“When you travel outside the United States, communicating effectively with language barriers can be difficult at first,” said Unruh. “Yet most of the time we can speak through chess.”

At Ellsworth Unruh provides administrative support for 28th MUNS armament group, managing vital accounts to ensure Airmen have the tools and resources necessary for mission requirements. These principles he applies at his work center are also tied to his skills learned through chess.

“Chess grants you the ability to visualize how different pieces work together, to analyze the consequences of your actions and the option to reset after you win or fail,” said Unruh. “Our job focuses heavily on electrical work, which requires visualizing how wires and electricity will flow through space and objects, so it is interesting to see how these skills mesh.”

When not competing in national or international tournaments, Unruh keeps his chess game strong by sharing his knowledge as a coach to aspiring players.

Twice a month, Unruh visits a homeschool group in Keystone, South Dakota, where he provides chess lessons to over 30 students, sharing his expertise and showcasing the mental and social benefits of the nearly 600-year-old game.

“There are a lot of avenues chess provides to society,” said Unruh. “I’ve coached students with Aspergers, forms of high functioning autism and children with an aversion for math or reading. The game gives them a way in to be social, to be able to express their thoughts as they move the pieces. The only reason I’m as strong as I am today, is because I continue to help those who want to pick up the game.”