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Chess has been part of my life from as far as I can remember. My uncle has studied the game ever since I was a little boy, and I have always been a terrible player. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to play.

They say the game of chess is very much like life. You have to think your moves through, try to figure out the next man’s strategy while preparing your counter attack. Many people act this way even with out a chessboard in front of them.

If you ask my uncle, he would say that the game of chess has been around since 600 AD. It appeared in India as a game called “Shaturanga” and by 800 AD it was absorbed by the Arab/Muslim culture which was responsible for its later introduction to other cultures. Chess as we know it today has been developed from the 15th and 16th century version of the game. In the 19th century, positional theory came to the forefront thanks to Wilhelm Steinitz the first official world chess champion.

The game was re-defined in the 20th century by Aron Nimzovitch whose own theories went against pre-existing chess theories, leading him to write the “greatest book ever” on chess strategy, “Mein System.” After that, my knowledge of the game turns recreational. I could mention a few champions, but that’s about it. However, for people like my uncle, there is a place right here in Philly where all the greats come to play a serious game of chess – The Franklin-Mercantile Chess Club.

The Franklin-Mercantile Chess Club was founded in 1885 and is the second oldest Chess Club in America, established 31 years after Mechanics Institute Chess Room in San Francisco”"giving the FM Chess Club a long prominent history of chess activity. The Franklin Mercantile Chess Club has played host to friendly games by great players like Zukertort, Lasker and, as my uncle would say, the unofficial G.O.A.T Paul Morphy.

Located at 2012 Walnut Street, the club doors are open from 1pm-9pm Monday to Thursday, and 1pm-12am on Friday and Saturday. Every first Saturday, the FM chess club has a 5-minute blitz tournament with a cash prize given to the winner. If you are interested in checking out the FM chess club it’s easy: Your first visit is free and for subsequent trips you need to get a membership to visit regularly. All the information can be found on their website www.franklin-mercantile.com. As I sit and lose another game to my uncle, I wonder if I’m the one that needs a membership.

Franklin-Mercantile Chess Club
2012 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.franklin-mercantile.com

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