KATHMANDU – Warrant Officer 2 Ngadi Sherpa of the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment has been selected to represent the UK Armed Forces at the NATO Chess Championship in Jūrmala, Latvia, this October.
The selection follows a high-ranking performance by Sherpa at the UK Armed Forces Chess Championship, held at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. His inclusion in the national squad marks a significant achievement for the Brigade of Gurkhas within the competitive military sporting circuit.
According to the British Gurkhas Nepal Communications Office, Sherpa finished fourth overall in a field of nearly 100 competitors drawn from the UK Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence. Within the specific Army category, he secured second place.
Currently stationed with Headquarters British Gurkhas Nepal in Kathmandu, Sherpa will join the UK team for the international tournament running from October 11 to 17.
The NATO Championship Framework
The NATO Chess Championship is one of the most prestigious intellectual competitions within the alliance’s military structure. Now in its 36th year, the event serves as a platform for strategic engagement and informal defence diplomacy between member states, complementing the formal obligations set out in the North Atlantic Treaty.
Key details of the upcoming event include:
- Location: Jūrmala, Latvia
- Dates: October 11-17
- Participation: Approximately 100 competitors from across allied militaries
- Scope: Nearly 20 NATO member nations represented by serving personnel
While primarily a sporting and intellectual contest, the championship also functions as a confidence-building measure inside the alliance, bringing officers and enlisted personnel together in a setting where strategic thinking, rules-based competition and shared professional culture are foregrounded.
The UK Armed Forces Chess Association stated that Sherpa’s participation “would significantly strengthen the UK team at the NATO championship.”
Institutional Recognition
The achievement has been highlighted as a mark of individual and unit excellence. The Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment provides essential logistical support to the Brigade of Gurkhas, a specialized force of Nepali soldiers serving in the British Army known for their discipline and operational versatility. Gurkha service is governed by long-established arrangements between London and Kathmandu, and Sherpa’s selection underscores how those bilateral defence ties now extend into high-level cultural and sporting representation as well.
Commander British Gurkhas Nepal Colonel Dan Rex praised the performance, describing it as:
“a reflection of professionalism, determination and intellect that brought credit to the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment and the wider Brigade of Gurkhas.”
The transition from the national championship at the Defence Academy to the international stage in Latvia places Sherpa among the top-tier military strategists of the UK’s defence establishment in the specific realm of competitive chess, where calculation, discipline and scenario-planning closely mirror operational decision-making.
The UK Armed Forces Chess Championship, staged at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, is the principal annual tournament used to identify players for international representation, ensuring that those selected have been tested in a joint-services environment under common rules and oversight.
The competition begins in Latvia on October 11, with the UK contingent expected to participate in both individual and team events as NATO allies converge on Jūrmala for a week of codified, rules-based rivalry on the chessboard.