3 airmen compete in NATO chess tournament - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

3 airmen compete in NATO chess tournament

A trio of airmen played Monday in the 19th annual NATO Chess Championship in Brussels, Belgium. The championship runs through Aug. 8 and brings together the best military chess players from 17 NATO countries.

Master Sgt. Dan Ranario, Tech. Sgt. Robert Bucholtz and Airman 1st Class Elena Dulger earned spots on the six-member U.S. military team with strong performances in the U.S. Armed Forces annual Interservice Chess Championship held in June at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

Dulger took second place in the U.S. tournament with five wins and two losses. According to tournament officials, Dulger is the first female player on the U.S. team.

“I just recently got my U.S. citizenship and getting a chance to represent U.S. Armed Forces Team means a lot to me not only as an enlisted person, but also as an American citizen,” Dulger said.

Ranario said he prepared for the international competition by practicing at home, playing online games and reading chess books. “I feel very special and privileged to make the cut. Not everybody gets to represent the U.S. chess team,” Ranario said. “I like the challenge. I consider it a sport.”

Bucholtz earned his spot on the team with a third-place finish at the interservice tournament.

“It is a great honor to be on the U.S. military chess team. I have been playing in the military [tournaments] since 2002 and qualified twice, with one year off due to a deployment,” Bucholtz said. “I’m thrilled to have made it this far again as the Air Force and interservice-level tournaments are extremely competitive.”