New Open File
Winter 2025
As chess in the UK goes from strength to strength, so too does Armed Forces chess, and it makes Open File a great read!
This edition has a huge amount of content - the main features in this edition are the NATO Championships in Poland, the recent Armed Forces Rapidplay, The British Chess Championship from Liverpool - and a sneaky look behind the scenes of the BBC program Chess Masters - The Endgame by contestant and RAF Veteran Richie Kelly.
You don't want to miss it! Click below to read this packed edition of Open File.
UK Armed Forces Chess Championship 2025 Results
Congratulations to all who competed in the 2025 UK Armed Forces Chess Championship.
The tournament kicked off with a Simul by the famous 'Ginger GM' - Grandmaster Simon Williams and from there on a huge entry of 80 players battled it out over 7 rounds at RAF Cranwell. It was a fantastic venue and a great time was had by everyone. As well as the overall winner (congratulations go to Army player Cpl Aleksander Tenin), there were other winners of our various Service/MOD trophies:
UK Armed Forces Chess Champion – Cpl Aleksander Tenin
Royal Air Force Champion – Off Cdt Mark Kenyon
Royal Navy Champion – Marine William Cole
Army Champion - Cpl Aleksander Tenin
MOD Champion – Daniel Wells
Veteran Champion – Dave Tucker
Brokenshire Blitz Champion – Off Cdt Mark Kenyon
Full Results here:
Carl Portman MBE!
Our congratulations go out to our former magazine editor, Carl Portman, who was awarded an MBE in the King's New Years Honours List. The award was given for services to chess in the community, and in particular, his work with chess in prisons. This is well documented in Carl's book, Chess Behind Bars.
We have many past editions of Open File archived in this section, with several from the early years of the RAF Chess Association in pdf form. Click Below to enter the Open File archive.
17-18 Jan 4NCL in Dudley, West Midlands
7-8 Feb 4NCL in Daventry
21-22 Mar 4NCL in Coventry
2-4 May 4NCL in Coventry
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