Richard H. Moody, Jr.

Richard Moody, Jr., passed away on July 1, 2023. He was born on September 8, 1951 to Richard H. Moody and Suzanne Lopez Moody. He lived most of his life at the Moody Willow Pond Farm in West Berne, NY. His last years were in spent Middleburgh, NY, and then The Promenade at University Place in Albany, NY.

Richard graduated from Schoharie Central School in 1969. He obtained a degree in Geology from SUNY Albany in 1973. After graduating he worked for Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, NY. During his time at Lamont Doherty Richard participated in dives on the “Alvin” manned research submersible, retrieving core samples from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge ocean bottom at depths near 9,000 feet. He got his Master’s Degree in geology from SUNY Albany in 1982 based on that research. Richard then worked as a guide at Howe Caverns for almost 20 years.

Richard was a prolific writer on a variety of topics. He devoted many years to analyzing the game of chess, especially the openings, and wrote books on chess theory, including The Evans Gambit Revolution (1995); Universal Chess: The Search for Truth and Beauty (1999); Magic: Black to Move and Win! (2007); and Chess Revolution (2020). He was a frequent contributor of articles and letters on chess theory to Chess Life and other chess publications.

Over the years Richard also contributed numerous articles on geology and other sciences to the magazine Infinite Energy where he “made the cover” at least five times. In 2007 he was interviewed on Coast to Coast AM regarding “his theory of tectonic plate dynamics, as well as global earthquake activity and quake prediction.” His novella, The Christ Chronicles, was published in 2011.

Richard‘s letters to the editor were often published in the Schenectady Gazette, the Albany Times Union, and the Cobleskill Times Journal. In 2013 Richard was the subject of an article in the Times Union entitled “Man vs laptop: always a draw.”

Richard is survived by his sister, Carey Anne M. Berdan, his brother-in-law William (“Bill”) Berdan, and his lifelong friends Ruth Tobiassen, Len Berdan, Walter (“Buck”) Berdan, and Jeff DeGroff. He was predeceased by his mother (12/10/10), his father (5/27/14), and his brother Kevin L. Moody (12/1/22).

A Celebration of Richard’s Life will be held at the Fox Creek Pavilion in Schoharie on September 30, 2023, from 1-4 p.m. The family requests no flowers.

Contributions in Richard’s name can be made to The Joshua Project of Schoharie County, Inc., PO Box 413, Middleburgh, NY 12122-0413.