Originally developed in royal monarchies to help learn battle strategies, during the Age of Enlightenment, it was thought that chess was more than just a game, but a means of self-improvement. Today the game is taught in schools and chess clubs, and has been assimilated into our culture.

Whatever your position on the game’s place in our lives, chess can surely improve critical thinking, a decidedly underrated skill in our short-attention-span culture. We can play it online, it’s built into a lot of computers, and we can play against machines, and those are great things. But nothing is quite the same as going head to head with a formidable opponent.

If you’ve been wanting to exercise your brain muscles a bit, develop better critical thinking, or just work on your endgame, Midtown Global Market offers the chance to do so every Monday from 4:30 to 8pm. The Uplift Chess Club is free and open to the public and provides a chance to meet and challenge other players.

The Uplift Chess Club is open to all levels of play, whether you’re just starting out, or ready to tackle the champions. If you are a beginner or just need to brush up on your skills a bit, lessons are available for $20 per lesson.

Ample parking is available in parking lots or the 10th Avenue Parking Ramp. Midtown Global Market will validate parking if you use the ramp for up to 3 hours.

For more information or questions, contact Peter Mwaura at (651) 492-2858 or DeWitt Green, Uplift Chess at (612) 825-0371 or email upliftchess@yahoo.com. Also, visit upliftchess.com.