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One of the liveliest locations on a Tuesday evening in east London's Brick Lane couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear label temporary shop, it is a chess gathering – or a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

This unique venue embodies the unlikely fusion between chess and the city's fervent nightlife scene. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who launched his first chess club in the summer of 2023 at a smaller bar in a nearby area, not too far from the current 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 explained. “Usually, chess is only put in spaces that are full of older people, which isn't diverse enough.”

On the first night, there were only 8 boards shared by sixteen people. Today, a “successful evening” at the weekly club event will attract approximately 280 attendees.

Upon arrival, Knight Club feels more like a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are flowing and music is playing, but the game boards on each table are not just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and encircled by a queue of onlookers waiting for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, in her mid-twenties, has frequented Knight Club regularly for the past four months. “I had little understanding of chess before I came here, and the first time I ever played, I competed in a game against a grandmaster. It was a quick win, but it made me fascinated to study and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

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

A Game Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Era

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the societal zeitgeist. Its appeal of digital chess expanded rapidly during the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing online pastimes in the world. Across media, the Netflix series a hit show, as well as Sally Rooney’s recent novel a literary work, have created a certain iconography surrounding the game, which has drawn in a new generation of enthusiasts.

But much of this newfound appeal of the chess night isn't necessarily about the intricacies of the play; rather, it is the ease of connecting with others that it enables, by taking a seat and playing with a person who could be a complete unknown individual.

“It's a brilliant Trojan horse,” remarked Jonah Freud, co-founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookshop, reading room, coffee house and bar, which has organized a popular chess club every Wednesday since it began several years back. His objective is to “take chess from its elite status and make it feel similar to billiards in a casual pub”.

“It is a really easy vehicle to meet people. It kind of takes the pressure of the need of conversation away from socializing with people. One can handle the uncomfortable bit of making an introduction and talking to a new acquaintance over a game instead of with no kind of context involved.”

Expanding the Network: Social Gatherings Outside the Capital

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess night held at a city cafe, near the downtown area. “We found that people are seeking places where one can socialize, interact and have a fun evening beyond going to a bar or nightclub,” said its creator and coordinator, a young leader, 21.

Together with his friend Abdirahim Haji, 21, Singh purchased chessboards, printed flyers and began the chess club in January, while in his last year of university. In less than a year, he reported Chesscafé has expanded to draw over one hundred young players to its events.

“Such a venue has a specific connotation associated with it, about it seeming quiet. Our approach is to move in the opposite direction; it's a convivial party with chess involved,” he said.

Learning and Playing: An Alternative Generation of Players

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. Zoë Kezia, in her late twenties, is learning how to participate in chess with fellow attenders of the weekly event at the venue. She became curious in the game was piqued after an enjoyable night moving to music and playing chess at one of Knight Club's events.

“It is a strange concept, but it functions well,” she said. “It encourages face-to-face interactions rather than digital activities. It is a no-cost neutral ground to meet strangers. It's inviting, you don't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She humorously likened the trendiness of chess with young people to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to simulate intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “hipness”. Whether the chess trend has cultivated a genuine interest in the game isn't a notion she's entirely convinced by. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s largely a trend,” she said. “Once you're playing with opponents who are truly serious about it, it rapidly becomes less fun.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It may seem like a bit of fun and games for individuals looking to employ a chessboard as a social vehicle, but competitive participants do have their place, even if off the main party area.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who assists in organise the club,explains that increasingly skilled attenders have established a league table. “Participants who are part of the competition will play one another, we will go to early rounds, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a serious competitor and chess teacher. He joined in the league for about a year and participates at the club almost weekly. “This offers a welcome option to playing serious chess; it provides a feeling of belonging,” he expressed.

“It's fascinating to observe how it becomes more of a communal activity, because previously the only people who played chess were those who rarely go outside; they just stayed home. It's typically just two people playing on a chessboard …

“The thing I like about this place is that one isn't actually facing the computer, you are engaging with real people.”