Cadets command the chess board, to West Point's dismay

The Air Force Academy’s cadets might be struggling to win the Commander in Chief’s Trophy on the gridiron, but they’re bombing the opposition on the chess board.

The cadet Chess Team defeated rivals from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., earlier this month ending a six-year losing streak and earning their own Commander in Chief Trophy as the top military academy in the game, an accomplishment the football team hasn’t achieved in seven years.

The six-member chess squad took on 13 West Point cadets maneuvered to overcome the larger opponent.

“By capitalizing on our strongest players, we had the right mix of players to score the most points against the Army,” Capt. Gerardo Neri, who oversees the chess team, said in a news release.

The tournament in Pennsylvania drew 50 competitors, with five of the six Air Force cadets winning individual honors.

The winners claimed bragging rights over West Point.

“We outmaneuvered and outclassed them after the opening moves,” one of the chess winners, senior cadet James Greener, said in a news release.

Greener’s comments could wind up as locker room motivation for the Army football team when it comes to Falcon Stadium on Nov. 7.

Air Force football already lost to Navy and will be gunning for the improving Army team.

Maybe Air Force coach Troy Calhoun can gain some insight from his school’s chess wizards.

“Our relentless study of mid- and end-game tactics proved too much for West Point to handle this year,” Greener explained.

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