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One of the most energetic locations on a weekday evening in the East End's Brick Lane couldn't be a restaurant or a urban fashion label pop-up, it is a chess club – or a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

Knight Club embodies the surprising fusion between chess and London's fervent evening entertainment scene. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, 27, who began his first chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in a nearby area, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to create chess clubs for people who share my background and people my generation,” he said. “Typically, chess is only placed in spaces that are full of senior individuals, which is not inclusive sufficiently.”

On the first night, there were only eight boards shared by 16 people. Now, a “good night” at the weekly club event will draw approximately two hundred eighty attendees.

At first glance, Knight Club feels closer to a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are flowing and tunes is in the air, but the chessboards on each table aren't just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and encircled by a queue of spectators eagerly anticipating for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, in her mid-twenties, has been attending Knight Club regularly for the past four months. “I had little understanding of chess before I came here, and the initial occasion I tried it, I competed in a game against a expert player. That was a quick victory, but it left me intrigued to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she noted.

“The event is about half social and half participants genuinely wishing to engage in chess … It's a pleasant way to unwind, which avoids 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 throughout the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing internet pastimes in the world. In popular culture, the Netflix series a hit show, along with Sally Rooney’s latest novel a literary work, have created a certain imagery associated with the game, which has attracted a new wave of players.

However a great deal of this newfound appeal of the chess club isn't necessarily about the technicalities of the game; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it facilitates, by taking a seat and engaging with someone who may be a total stranger.

“It's a great clever disguise,” remarked Jonah Freud, co-founder of Reference Point in London, a bookstore, reading room, coffee house and bar, which has organized a popular chess club weekly since it began several years back. Freud’s objective is to “take chess from its elite status and transform it into similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“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 socializing with people. You can handle the uncomfortable bit of introducing yourself and chatting to someone across a board rather than with no kind of shared activity around it.”

Expanding the Community: Social Gatherings Beyond the Capital

In Birmingham, Chesscafé is a regular chess night held at York’s Cafe, just outside the city centre. “Our observation was that individuals are seeking places where one can socialize, socialise and enjoy a fun evening beyond visiting a bar or nightclub,” said its creator and coordinator, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Alongside his friend a partner, 21, Singh bought game sets, printed promotional materials and began the chess club in January, during his last year of college. Within months, he reported Chesscafé has grown to attract over one hundred youthful participants to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a specific connotation to it, about it seeming quiet. Our approach is to move in the contrary direction; it is a convivial get-together with chess as part of it,” he said.

Learning and Engaging: An Alternative Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an introduction to the game. One participant, in her late twenties, is learning how to play chess with other visitors of chess night at the venue. Her interest in the game was piqued after an enjoyable evening dancing and playing chess at one of the club's events.

“It's a unique idea, but it works,” she commented. “It promotes face-to-face exchanges instead of screen-based activities. It's a free third space to encounter strangers. It's inviting, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia jokingly compared the popularity of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to simulate intellectualism while signaling the appearance of “coolness”. Whether the chess trend has fostered a genuine passion in the game is not something she is entirely sure about. “It's a wholesome trend, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “Once you're playing against people who are truly dedicated about it, it quickly turns less enjoyable.”

Serious Gaming and Community

It may all be a bit of lighthearted activity for individuals aiming to employ a game set as a social vehicle, but competitive players certainly have their place, albeit off the main party area.

Another organizer, 22, who helps running the club,says that more skilled players have formed a league table. “People who are part of the competition will play one another, we will progress to early rounds, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a competitive player and chess instructor. He has been the competition for about a twelve months and participates at the club almost every week. “This offers a welcome alternative to playing serious chess; it provides a feeling of belonging,” he said.

“It is interesting to observe how it becomes more of a social activity, because previously the only individuals who engaged in chess were people who rarely go outside; they simply stayed home. It's typically just a pair playing on a chessboard …

“The thing I like about this place is that you're not actually facing the computer, you are facing live opponents.”