Quincy chess club finds home. After losing last site, they'd been playing on city streets

QUINCY − On a Wednesday night in Quincy Center, a balloon tied to the door of Bethany Congregational Church whipped in the wind. On it, written with a Sharpie, the word "Chess" beckoned enthusiasts and aficionados to the city's new and entirely free chess club.

For its founder, Mike Yezukevich, the new beginning marked the end of a two-year quest to bring an adult chess club back to Quincy.

Inside the church, a dozen men sat at banquet tables in a large, brightly lit function room, their brows furrowed in concentration as they hunched over game pieces. In a kitchenette, a coffee machine sputtered and steamed as the aroma wafted over the players.

"If I had to choose from all the places I looked at, this would be the one," Yezukevich said. "It's exactly what I hoped for."

He said a conference room above the former Roche Bros. supermarket on Falls Boulevard hosted a smaller club. But when Roche Bros. closed in April 2022, the chess club dissolved.

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Undeterred, Yezukevich brought his boards, timers, pieces and knowledge to the streets of Quincy, setting up impromptu lessons and matches on the lawn of the Thomas Crane Library and near the fountain at the Hancock Adams Common.

But that's not the same as having a home. Yezukevich said his presence once even attracted police attention. Library staff threatened to bring trespassing charges if he didn't vacate the grounds, though they ultimately relented.

A church with a social mission: Bethany Congregational provides home for chess club

In September, when The Patriot Ledger highlighted Yezukevich's "Quincy needs a chess club" campaign, Bethany Congregational Prudential Chair Mike Fernauld took notice.

"It's a good thing for the community," Fernauld said. "And we have the ability to host."

Church moderator Matthew Hughes said the club fits in with the social mission of the church, which also hosts Cub Scout meetings, the Quincy High School robotics club, a prayer group for the local Muslim community and a church-run day care.

It also provides space for three other Christian churches in need of space: Glad Tidings, Assemblies of God and Grace Harbor Pentecostal. Hughes said Bethany increased its social engagement under the former pastor, the Rev. William C. Harding.

“You wouldn’t know how much goes on here, just driving by,” he said.

'This is my night out.' Club gets players offline and into the world

Several members who attended opening night said the club is good for the heart and the eyes. Face-to-face interaction trumps the harsh light of a computer monitor during a long online chess match, they said.

Yezukevich said he’s happy to provide a chance for adult players to socialize with their peers as they exercise their minds and improve their games.

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“Kids get a lot of the attention in terms of classes and clubs,” said Yezukevich, who provides many such opportunities for youth chess players around the South Shore. “It’s time for adults to get their share.”

“I’m married with a daughter,” said Mark DeVico, 51, of Dorchester. “This is my night out.”

DeVico squared off against 24-year-old Elvin Monteiro, who prevailed in the first match. Monteiro, also of Dorchester, said he started playing regularly about a year ago, quickly learning new tactics through YouTube videos.

He said he was happy to get out and compete against other people face to face.

“Usually, it’s just sitting at home,” Monteiro said of the online chess platforms he and several other members of the new club have used in the absence of a more social alternative.

“It fills a need for a lot of people,” said Bob Carney, of Quincy, who has played off and on for 30 years.

Like Monteiro, Carney said he was happy to have a club meeting to get out of the house and interact with other humans, rather than playing online.

“That’s a rabbit hole you can get stuck in,” Carney said.

Sujidh Mahendrakar, of Quincy, learned chess from his dad when he was 5 years old. Recently, he started playing online. When his wife saw the flier for the club on Facebook, she sent it to him.

“She didn't want me staring at a screen all day,” he said.

Mahendrakar has lived on Hancock Street in downtown Quincy for the past four years, and works remotely. He, like many of the other participants at the first club meeting, said it’s a great opportunity to play a game he loves, improve his skills and get offline and into the world.

Stan O'Harte, also from Quincy, started playing in high school and resumed playing two years ago. He said he’s  frequented other chess clubs in Medford and Jamaica Plain.

“This one’s closer,” he said.

His opponent, Doug Southall, of Hanson, agreed, saying adult chess clubs have become scarce south of Boston.

"The South Shore is a bit of a wasteland," he said.

O'Harte said that based on the first meeting, he finds the environment of Quincy’s club more congenial than the other clubs, which he said are fast paced and very competitive.

“I’m here to have fun,” he said.

How to join Quincy's chess club

The club is free and open to adult chess players of all levels. It does require some experience; lessons for beginners are not offered at meetings. Small donations are encouraged but not required to cover equipment costs, insurance and refreshments.

For details about how to join, visit the club's Facebook page or email TheSouthShoreChessClub@gmail.com.

Meetings are Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 18 Spear St. in Quincy. It's a short walk from the Quincy Center T station, and there's plenty of parking on Coddington Street.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy chess club to meet weekly at Bethany Congregational Church