June 26, 2001

National Chess Master Jim Eade to Challenge Local Players at MASS MoCA July 26

Chess dates back so far that its origins are nearly impossible to pin down. Some researchers believe that terra cotta pieces excavated from Mesopotamia dating back to 6,000 BC were chess pieces. Syrian Philip Stamma helped popularize the game in the 18th century by stressing strategy, and the first modern international tournament was played in London in 1851. In a match reflective of cold war tension, American Bobby Fisher upset Boris Spassky in 1972, breaking the Soviet stranglehold on the World Chess Champion title. Today, study after study has proven that chess can help children develop critical thinking skills and memory and improve scores on standardized tests.

Inspired by Bobby Fischer, Jim 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.

Eade's book, Chess For Dummies, is 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."

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 play-offs. 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 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or purchased on line at www.massmoca.org.

MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located off Marshall Street in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org