Chess master, author will play 25 games at once at MASS MoCA & speak, too

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Jim Eade, national chess master and author of Chess For Dummies, will come to MASS MoCA in North Adams and play 25 simultaneous games of chess and show why one of the oldest games gains thousands of new fans and players every day. Eade, a resident of Menlo Park, Calif., who grew up in North Adams, will be visiting MASS MoCA for the first time. He will appear on Thursday, July 26, at 7 p.m. “I’m going to do a couple of things. I’ll be playing a number of games simultaneously, which can be pretty difficult,” Eade said in a recent interview by email. “I will also be talking about chess as the Art of Logic. Chess is composed of rules, and there are certain fundamental elements of the game, but any game may be completely different from the last. “During the course of the game the basic elements can mix or combust like volatile gases,” he added. “When you can see through the complex whirlwind of competing elements and discover a hidden idea which once again makes everything clear, you’ve approached mastery, and experienced chess as Art.” Eade’s family moved to North Adams just before he entered the sixth grade, and he attended Greylock School. His family lived on Massachusetts Avenue in the Blackinton section of the city. He graduated from Drury High School in 1975. He holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and an M.A. from the University of San Francisco. His parents now live in Adams, and among his siblings is a brother who lives in Pittsfield. Chess is not Eade’s full-time profession — though he once owned a chess publishing business, he now is working on a computer assisted learning project. Inspired by Bobby Fischer, Eade began taking chess seriously in 1972. He competed on teams in high school and college and became a United States Chess Federation (USCF) master in 1981. International organizations awarded him the master title in 1990 (for correspondence) and in 1993 (for regular tournament play). More recently his chess playing has given way to chess writing, organizing, and teaching; Eade is the author of three books and numerous articles on chess. “Chess is one of the greatest gifts you can give to a child. It will last them their entire life. Chess programs during school hours have proven to have a tremendous positive impact on students,” Eade said. “They develop skills, which are transferable back into the classroom. These programs require support from both faculty and administration, and where there is such support chess programs thrive. “I owe a great deal to a couple of teachers at Drury High School, John Richards and Vinny King, for their volunteer efforts carting us back and forth to various competitions,” he said. “Our team went from last my freshman year to first by my junior year, in large part because of their support. Their efforts, my dad’s teaching, and my inability to get a date for two solid years made me the player I am today!” What does he like about chess? “The problem solving. It is sheer delight when the light goes on and you’ve hit upon an answer to a difficult problem.” Eade said it is a common misconception that one has to be a “brainiac” in order to play chess. “I can teach a five-year-old how to play, but his or her parents might not believe that they can learn, too.” Another misconception is that chess is for nerds. “As the popularity of chess increases we’re finding that more and more of the stereotypes are breaking down,” he said. “It is becoming cooler and cooler in more and more schools to excel at something associated with intelligence. “It used to be something people made fun of, but kids are learning that being smart or engaging in intellectual activities is not something that they need to be ashamed of.” Are some people intimidated by chess? “Yes. Chess players often cultivate the myth of superior intelligence in order to meet their own ego needs,” Eade said. “There’s sort of a mental-macho thing that goes on in chess clubs and tournaments, and it can be intimidating.” Eade’s book, Chess For Dummies, is described as an easy-to-read, comprehensive manual for the novice player. Eade covers everything from the basics of how to set up a chessboard and how each piece moves to advanced strategies and tournament etiquette. Grandmaster Larry Evans, five-time United States champion and syndicated chess columnist, calls the book “everything you need to know about getting started and getting better.” Why did Eade write Chess For Dummies? “I wanted to demystify this intimidation factor. I think it is great that our culture associates chess with intelligence, because when a child discovers that they can play chess they draw the natural conclusion that they must be smart,” he said. “It still fills me with wonder that I can see children’s self-esteem grow before my very eyes when I teach them a game! “However, I also think that the myth of superior intelligence has proven to be a barrier,” he said. “There are untold millions of people who have convinced themselves that they cannot learn to play, because they don’t think they’re intelligent enough. It’s not true!. That’s why we need Chess For Dummies.” In addition to Eade’s talk and demonstration, MASS MoCA will host a chess tournament from 2 to 6 p.m. There will be a non-rated amateur Round Robin Quad limited to 48 players with 12 finalists advancing to the playoffs. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the tournament to the 12 players in the finals, and the six winners of the Final Play Off will participate in the 25-person simul game against Jim Eade that evening. For those not able to participate in the Round Robin Quad Tournament, MASS MoCA will have boards available for an Open Blitz Tournament from 1 - 5 p.m. Tournament entry is $3 in advance or $5 at the door until the 1:30 p.m. cutoff time. The Open Blitz Tournament is free with museum admission. Tickets for Checkmate: Chess with Jim Eade on July 26 are $5 and are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office off Marshall Street in North Adams from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 662-2111 during Box Office hours or purchased on line at www.massmoca.org.
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Village Pizza in North Adams Closes After 40 Years

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A pizzeria that's anchored the north corner of historic Eagle Street closed indefinitely on Wednesday.
 
Village Pizza owner Christina Nicholas took to Facebook to announce the closure with an emotional goodbye, explaining that medical issues were forcing her hand. 
 
"Since 2022, I've been dealing with back and spine issues," she said. "Unfortunately, it's gotten worse and the sad news is effective immediately I have to close. I am no longer able to perform the work to keep this business going and I have to concentrate on my own health."
 
Nicholas later said Village had been her "whole life," working there since she was 14 and buying it in 1991. 
 
"It's not the way I wanted to think about retiring," she said, at the door of the empty pizza place. "It's probably the hardest decision I've had to make my whole life."
 
The closure came on the heels of her most recent medical report and the reality that she was facing a long recovery. 
 
She hopes that a buyer will come through and continue its pizza legacy. "It's a good business and I'm sad to make this announcement," Nicholas said in her post.
 
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