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One of the liveliest spots on a Tuesday evening in the East End's famous street isn't a restaurant or a streetwear label temporary shop, it's a chess club – or a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

Knight Club embodies the unlikely crossover between the classic game and the city's fervent nightlife culture. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who launched his initial chess club in the summer of 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, not too far from the present location at a popular cafe on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to make chess clubs for individuals who share my background and people my age,” he said. “Usually, chess is only placed in spaces that are dominated by older people, which is not diverse enough.”

On the first night, there were only 8 boards between sixteen people. Now, a “successful evening” at the weekly Knight Club will attract approximately two hundred eighty people.

Upon arrival, Knight Club feels closer to a music night than a chess club. Mixed drinks are being served and tunes is in the air, but the game boards on every table aren't just ornamental or there as a gimmick: they are all occupied and surrounded by a queue of spectators eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has been attending the club regularly for the last several months. “I possessed little understanding of chess before my first visit, and the first time I ever played, I played a game against a expert player. That was a swift win, but it made me intrigued to study and keep playing chess,” she said.

“The event is about 50% social and 50% participants actually wanting to engage in chess … It is a pleasant way to relax, which doesn't involve visiting a typical nightspot to see others my generation.”

A Game Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Modern Era

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the societal zeitgeist. The popularity of digital chess expanded rapidly throughout the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing internet games in the world. Across media, the streaming series a hit show, along with Sally Rooney’s recent novel Intermezzo, have crafted a certain imagery surrounding the sport, which has attracted a fresh generation of players.

But much of this newfound appeal of the chess night isn't necessarily about the technicalities of the game; instead, it is the ease of connecting with others that it enables, by pulling up a seat and playing with someone who may be a total stranger.

“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 organized a popular chess club every Wednesday since it began several years back. Freud’s objective is to “take chess from its elite status and transform it into like pool in a dive bar”.

“It's a very easy vehicle to get to know people. It kind of takes the weight of the necessity of small talk away from interacting with people. One can do the awkward bit of introducing yourself and chatting to someone across a board instead of with no kind of context around it.”

Growing the Network: Social Gatherings Outside the Capital

In Birmingham, Chesscafé is a recurring chess night held at York’s Cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that individuals are looking for places where one can socialize, interact and have a fun evening beyond visiting a pub or club,” stated its creator and organiser, a young leader, 21.

Together with his associate Abdirahim Haji, also young, he purchased chessboards, created flyers and began the chess club in the start of the year, during his final year of college. Within months, Singh said Chesscafé has expanded to draw more than 100 young participants to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a specific reputation associated with it, about it seeming reserved. Our approach is to go the opposite direction; it is a convivial party with chess involved,” he emphasized.

Learning and Playing: A New Cohort of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. One participant, in her late twenties, is learning how to participate in chess with fellow attenders of chess night at the venue. Her interest in the game was sparked after an pleasurable night moving to music and engaging in chess at a previous the club's events.

“It's a unique concept, but it works,” she said. “It promotes in-person exchanges rather than screen-based pastimes. It is a no-cost third space to encounter strangers. It is inviting, you don't have to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia humorously likened the popularity of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to feign intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “hipness”. If the chess craze has fostered a genuine passion in the sport is not something she is entirely sure about. “It's a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s largely a trend,” she observed. “When you compete against people who are really dedicated about it, it rapidly becomes less fun.”

Serious Gaming and Community

It might seem like a bit of fun and games for individuals aiming to employ a chessboard as a networking tool, but serious participants certainly have their place, albeit away from the dancefloor.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who helps running the club,says that more competitive players have formed a competitive ranking. “People who are part of the competition will play one another, we will progress to early rounds, semi-finals, and then we'll eventually have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, in his twenties, is a serious player and chess instructor. He has been in the league for about a twelve months and participates at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a welcome alternative to playing intense chess; it provides a feeling of community,” he expressed.

“It is fascinating to see how it evolves into more of a communal pastime, because in the past the sole people who played chess were those who didn't go outside; they just stayed home. It's typically just a pair playing on a chessboard …

“The thing appeals to me about here is that one isn't really facing the digital opponent, you are facing live opponents.”