Ft. Myer, VA. - Second Lt. Arthur Macaspac said “killer instinct” was his key to victory in the 2006 All-Army Chess Championships May 15-19 at the Fort Myer Community Center.

A chemical officer from Fort Hood, Texas, Macaspac prevailed in one of the closest finishes in the tournament’s 47-year history. Only two points separated the top seven finishers.

A second-year Soldier armed with a decade of Navy service, Macaspac posted five victories and six draws but did not lose a game. His eight points were enough to triumph over 11 other Army chess aficionados.

“I think I have a killer instinct,” Macaspac said. “I want to win. Some people here are very good but I didn’t see their want to win as bad.”

Five-time All-Army runner-up Lt. Col. David Hater also escaped unscathed, but three victories and eight draws – including a stalemate against Macaspac – left him in second place with seven points.

“Second five times and third three other times,” Hater lamented about his dozen tournament appearances that left him feeling like the perennial bridesmaid of All-Army chess. “I’ve had my chances lots of years but you’ve got to win games that you’re winning. If you let your opponents escape it will come back to haunt you. And it did. It’s not the first time and it probably won’t be the last, unfortunately.”

Offering escape routes to Macaspac is a bad idea, competitors agreed.

“I could have lost to Col. Hater but he set up for a draw because of time constraints,” said Macaspac, who clinched the tournament crown with a victory over Lt. Col. Michael Cerezo in the 10th of 11 games.

Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey McAleer of Camp Humphreys, Korea, took third place with 6.5 points. The All-Army champion in 1993, McAleer has competed in the tourney 13 times.

“It’s something you look forward to every year,” said McAleer, a chemical operations specialist. “This is my vacation. Is it still fun? It is stressful. You worry about this game and that game and all the scenarios. It puts the pressure on but that’s good for you.”

McAleer was impressed by Macaspac’s All-Army debut.

“He really is a very solid player,” McAleer said. “He doesn’t seem to take chances. He just sits there and improves his position and waits for his opponent to make an inaccurate move and then he takes advantage. It’s almost like a smothering process. Of course to do that, he can’t make a mistake, either.”

“The difference between a win and a draw at this level of play is very small,” Hater said. “If you lose material for no good reason, you will lose the game.”

The top six finishers comprise the All-Army team scheduled to compete against Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy contingents in the 2006 U.S. Inter-Service Chess Championships June 11-17 at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla. The top six finishers there will qualify for the U.S. Military Chess Team to compete in the 2006 NATO Chess Championships Aug. 20-26 at Wellington College in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England.

Sgt. Christopher Drake of Fort Bragg, N.C.; Capt. Aldo Mendoza of Fort Gordon, Ga.; and a sergeant from Fort Eustis, Va., rounded out the top six finishers. Drake will not advance because of duty commitments. Seventh-place finisher Master Sgt. Andres Hortillosa of Fort Polk, La., will fill his spot.

Capt. Chris Pitts of Landstuhl, Germany; Cerezo of Los Angeles; Maj. Kristo Miettinen of Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; Maj. James Hollingsworth of Fort Bragg; and Capt. Jeremy Lingenfelser of Hartford, Conn., completed the field respectively.

Macaspac, who was reared in the Philippines, played on chess teams at Caloocan High School and Alejandro College, which he attended on a chess grant-in-aid.

“In the United States we don’t even accept chess as sports,” said Macaspac, who became a master-rated player at age 23. “But in the Philippines chess is like the No. 1 sport next to basketball. I spoke to one person here who said he doesn’t think chess is a sport because you don’t sweat. But actually you sweat if you lose. Imagine playing a five-hour game.”

Macaspac credited Lt. Col. Paul Hossenlopp for releasing him from active duty to compete in the All-Army, Armed Forces and NATO Chess Championships.

“My XO and my S-3 were both very supportive,” Macaspac said. “They’re both in the field right now but they let me come. I think they’re going to be very proud. They said I can play all the way through if I qualify. That would accomplish the whole mission.”

Hater said the Army reaps many benefits from hosting the Morale, Welfare and Recreation-sponsored event: the publicity value of excelling in anything, sending a positive message that Soldiers are exercising their minds, the players train like athletes and the production of Soldiers with sharp minds.

“The whole experience is fun but I will tell you there are times this week when sleeping is difficult,” Hater said. “You’re always preparing for the next game. If you want to play at a high level, you have to put in the work.”