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One of the liveliest locations on a Tuesday evening in east London's famous street couldn't be a restaurant or a streetwear brand temporary shop, it is a chess club – or rather a chess and nightlife hybrid, to be exact.

Knight Club represents the unlikely fusion between the classic game and London's dynamic nightlife scene. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who began his initial chess club in August 2023 at a more intimate bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the current location at a popular cafe on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to make chess clubs for people who look like me and those my generation,” he said. “Usually, chess is only placed in spaces that are full of older people, which isn't diverse enough.”

Initially, there were only 8 boards between 16 people. Now, a “successful evening” at the regular club event will attract approximately two hundred eighty attendees.

Upon arrival, Knight Club feels closer to a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are flowing and music is playing, but the game boards on each table aren't just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a queue of onlookers eagerly anticipating for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has been attending the club regularly for the last four months. “I had little understanding of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I ever played, I played a game against a expert player. That was a quick win, but it made me fascinated to learn and keep playing chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about 50% networking and 50% people genuinely wanting to engage in chess … It is a pleasant way to relax, which doesn't involve visiting a club to see other people my generation.”

A Game Revitalized: Chess in the Modern Age

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the societal zeitgeist. The popularity of digital chess proliferated during the pandemic, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online pastimes globally. In popular culture, the Netflix series a hit show, along with the author's recent novel Intermezzo, have crafted a certain imagery associated with the sport, which has drawn in a new wave of enthusiasts.

But much of this recent attraction of the chess club is not always about the technicalities of the game; instead, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it enables, by pulling up a chair and engaging with a person who could be a total unknown individual.

“It's a brilliant Trojan horse,” said Jonah Freud, founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, reading room, cafe and lounge, which has hosted a well-attended chess club every Wednesday since it opened several years back. His objective is to “remove chess from its elite status and make it feel like billiards in a casual pub”.

“It's a very simple tool to meet people. It somewhat takes the weight of the need of small talk from socializing with people. You can handle the uncomfortable part of making an introduction and talking to a new acquaintance over a board rather than with no shared activity involved.”

Growing the Community: Chess Nights Outside London

Elsewhere in the UK, a similar initiative is a recurring chess event taking place at York’s Cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that people are seeking spaces where one can go out, socialise and have a fun evening beyond going to a pub or nightclub,” stated its creator and coordinator, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Alongside his friend a partner, also young, he bought game sets, printed flyers and began the chess club in January, during his final year of university. Within months, he reported Chesscafé has grown to draw over one hundred young participants to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a specific connotation to it, about it being reserved. We really try to go the contrary way; it's a convivial party with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Learning and Engaging: An Alternative Cohort of Players

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. One participant, 27, is learning how to participate in chess with other visitors of the weekly event at Reference Point. She became curious in the game was sparked after an pleasurable evening dancing and playing chess at a previous Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a strange idea, but it works,” she said. “It encourages face-to-face interactions instead of screen-based pastimes. It's a no-cost neutral ground to meet strangers. It is inviting, one doesn't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She jokingly compared the trendiness of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an effort to simulate braininess while projecting the veneer of “hipness”. If the chess craze has cultivated a authentic passion in the sport is not something she's quite sure about. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she observed. “Once you compete against opponents who are really serious about it, it quickly turns less fun.”

Competitive Play and Community

It may seem like a some fun and games for those aiming to use a chessboard as a social vehicle, but competitive participants do have their place, albeit off the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who helps running the club,says that more skilled attenders have formed a league table. “People who are part of the competition will play each other, we will go to quarter-finals, advanced stages, and then we will eventually have a champion.”

A dedicated player, in his twenties, is a competitive competitor and chess teacher. He joined in the league for about a year and participates at the club almost every week. “This offers a nice alternative to playing serious chess; it gives a sense of community,” he said.

“It's fascinating to observe how it evolves into more of a communal pastime, because previously the only individuals who engaged in chess were people who didn't go outside; they just remained home. It is usually only a pair playing on a chessboard …

“What appeals to me about this place is that you're not actually facing the digital opponent, you are facing live opponents.”