Engineer wins chess title Published July 17, 2009 By Kendahl Johnson 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- After numerous attempts and several close calls, Norm Woodward finally captured first place in a Robins chess tournament. "The best I'd ever done before was second place," he said. "I was very pleased to come out on top this time." Mr. Woodward, who has been playing for nearly 50 years, said he hones his chess skills by playing on the Internet. But playing in person is very different, he said. "There is a real psychology involved with playing chess," he said. "There's an element of bluffing. And you can't come in with a negative attitude. You have to play with confidence." Mr. Woodward, an engineer in the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, was one of nine participants in the tournament, hosted by the Robins Community Center. Brian Murphy, recreation director at the center, said the turnout was lower than usual, likely because it was held in the summer. "We are in the middle of vacations and people leaving, so we didn't get the numbers we'd hoped for," Mr. Murphy said. "But we did have quality players; those who participated were very competitive." Mr. Murphy said he is planning another tournament in October. He hopes marketing and publicity make it better attended, especially among military members.