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One of the most energetic locations on a weekday night in east London's famous street isn't a dining spot or a streetwear brand pop-up, it's a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, to be exact.

Knight Club represents the surprising fusion between the classic game and the city's dynamic evening entertainment scene. It was started by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who launched his first chess club in August 2023 at a more intimate bar in a nearby area, not too far from the current location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to make chess clubs for individuals who share my background and people 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 sixteen people. Today, a “successful evening” at the weekly Knight Club will attract approximately 280 people.

Upon arrival, the venue seems more like a music night than a chess club. Cocktails are being served and music is playing, but the game boards on every table aren't just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a queue of onlookers waiting for their chance to play.

Jimmy Ifenayi, in her mid-twenties, has frequented the club regularly for the past several months. “I had little understanding of chess prior to I came here, and the first time I ever played, I played a game with a grandmaster. It was a swift victory, but it left me intrigued to learn and keep playing chess,” she noted.

“The event is about 50% social and half people genuinely wishing to engage in chess … It is a pleasant way to relax, which avoids visiting a club to see other people my age.”

A Game Reborn: Chess in the Modern Age

Lately, chess has been cemented in the societal zeitgeist. Its appeal of digital chess expanded rapidly throughout the pandemic, making it one of the most rapidly expanding online pastimes in the world. Across media, the streaming series a hit show, as well as Sally Rooney’s recent novel Intermezzo, have created a distinct iconography associated with the game, which has drawn in a new wave of players.

However a great deal of this newfound appeal of the chess club is not necessarily about the technicalities of the game; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it facilitates, by pulling up a chair and engaging with a person who could be a complete unknown individual.

“It is a great Trojan horse,” remarked Jonah Freud, founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookshop, reading room, cafe and lounge, which has organized a popular chess club weekly since it began several years back. Freud’s aim is to “take chess from its elite status and transform it into similar to billiards in a casual pub”.

“It is a really easy vehicle to get to know people. It kind of removes the weight of the need of conversation away from interacting with people. You can do the awkward part of making an introduction and chatting to a new acquaintance over a board rather than with no kind of context involved.”

Growing the Community: Social Gatherings Outside the Capital

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a regular chess night held at York’s Cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that people are seeking spaces where one can go out, socialise and enjoy a fun evening outside of visiting a pub or club,” stated its creator and coordinator, a young leader, 21.

Alongside his associate a partner, also young, Singh bought game sets, created promotional materials and began the chess club in January, during his last year of college. Within months, he reported their event has grown to draw more than 100 youthful players to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a particular connotation associated with it, about it seeming reserved. We really try to go the opposite way; it's a social party with chess involved,” he emphasized.

Learning and Engaging: An Alternative Cohort of Chess Enthusiasts

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. Zoë Kezia, 27, is picking up how to participate in chess with other visitors of chess night at Reference Point. Her interest in the game was piqued after an enjoyable night dancing and playing chess at one of Knight Club's events.

“It is a unique concept, but it functions well,” she commented. “It promotes face-to-face exchanges instead of digital pastimes. It's a no-cost third space to encounter strangers. It is welcoming, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

She jokingly likened the trendiness of chess with the youth to the superficial image of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an effort to simulate intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. Whether the chess trend has fostered a genuine interest in the sport is not something she's quite sure about. “It's a positive phenomenon, but it’s largely a trend,” she said. “Once you're playing against people who are truly dedicated about it, it quickly turns less enjoyable.”

Serious Gaming and Togetherness

It might seem like a some lighthearted activity for individuals aiming to employ a chessboard as a social vehicle, but competitive players do have their place, albeit away from the main party area.

Another organizer, 22, who assists in running the club,explains that increasingly skilled players have formed a competitive ranking. “Participants who are part of the competition will face each other, we'll progress to early rounds, advanced stages, and then we'll eventually have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a serious competitor and chess instructor. He joined in the league for about a year and plays at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a nice option to playing intense chess; it gives a sense of belonging,” he said.

“It is interesting to see how it becomes more of a social activity, because in the past the only people who engaged in chess were people who didn't socialize; they just stayed home. It is usually just a pair playing on a chessboard …

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