Retired Marine Staff Sgt. John Farrell, from Alexandria, Va., scored 4.0/5 and won the Class A prize on tiebreak over three other players at the 2021 U.S. Class Chess Championships held July 23-25 in Houston. He is also co-organizer of the 2021 U.S. Armed Forces Open Chess Championship (USAFOCC), to be held Oct. 8-11 in Grapevine, Texas.

Farrell is no stranger to tough chess competition. At the Virginia Senior Open, July 10-11, 2021, he earned the right to represent his state in the John T. Irwin National Tournament of Senior State Champions (Cherry Hill, N.J., July 31-Aug. 3, 2021). Later this year he represents the United States at his eighth NATO Chess Championship.

Before NATO he will travel to Grapevine and play in his 22nd USAFOCC. The tournament is restricted and open only to retired military, active duty, cadets and veterans. 65 veterans and active military, representing 16 states, are advance-registered.

More information is available at http://texasarmedforceschess.com.
Questions can be emailed to co-organizer Jim Hollingsworth at texasarmedforceschess@gmail.com. Hollingsworth is a member of American Legion Post 379 in Bedford, Texas; Texas Armed Forces Chess is a subordinate element of Post 379.

(Photo by Louis Reed)