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One of the liveliest locations on a Tuesday evening in east London's famous street isn't a restaurant or a urban fashion brand pop-up, it is a chess gathering – or a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

This unique venue represents the surprising fusion between chess and London's dynamic evening entertainment 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 Aldgate, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to make chess clubs for people who share my background and those my generation,” he said. “Usually, chess is only put in environments that are full of senior individuals, which isn't inclusive sufficiently.”

On the first night, there were just 8 boards shared by 16 people. Now, a “good night” at the regular Knight Club will draw about two hundred eighty people.

At first glance, the venue seems more like a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are flowing and music is in the air, but the game boards on every table are not just decorative or there as a gimmick: they are all occupied and encircled by a line of spectators waiting for their turn.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has frequented Knight Club often for the past several months. “I possessed no knowledge of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I tried it, I competed in a game against a grandmaster. That was a quick victory, but it left me intrigued to study and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“The event is about 50% networking and half people actually wanting to play chess … It is a nice way to unwind, which doesn't involve visiting a typical nightspot to see other people my generation.”

An Activity Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Age

Lately, chess has been cemented in the cultural zeitgeist. Its appeal of online chess proliferated throughout the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the most rapidly expanding online pastimes globally. Across media, the Netflix series a hit show, along with Sally Rooney’s latest novel a literary work, have crafted a certain imagery surrounding the game, which has drawn in a fresh generation of players.

But much of this recent attraction of the chess club isn't always about the intricacies of the game; instead, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it facilitates, by taking a chair and playing with a person who may be a complete unknown individual.

“It is a great clever disguise,” remarked Jonah Freud, founder of a local venue in the city, a bookstore, reading room, cafe and lounge, which has organized a well-attended chess club every Wednesday since it began four years ago. Freud’s aim is to “take chess off a pedestal and transform it into similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It is a very simple vehicle to get to know people. It kind of removes the pressure of the need of small talk from interacting with people. You can do the awkward bit of introducing yourself and talking to a new acquaintance over a game instead of with no kind of context involved.”

Growing the Community: Chess Nights Outside the Capital

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a recurring chess night held at York’s Cafe, near the downtown area. “We found that people are looking for spaces where you can socialize, interact and enjoy a fun evening beyond going to a pub or nightclub,” stated its creator and coordinator, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Together with his associate Abdirahim Haji, also young, he bought chessboards, printed promotional materials and started the chess club in January, during his last year of university. Within months, Singh said Chesscafé has expanded to draw more than 100 young players to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a particular connotation to it, about it seeming reserved. We really try to go the contrary way; it is a social party with chess involved,” he said.

Learning and Engaging: A New Cohort of Players

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. Zoë Kezia, 27, is picking up how to play chess with other attenders of chess night at the venue. She became curious in the game was sparked after an enjoyable night moving to music and playing chess at a previous the club's occasions.

“It is a strange concept, but it works,” she said. “It encourages in-person interactions instead of digital activities. It's a free neutral ground to encounter new people. It is welcoming, you don't have to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

She jokingly likened the popularity of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an effort to simulate intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. If the chess craze has cultivated a authentic interest in the game is not a notion she's entirely convinced by. “It's a positive phenomenon, but it’s largely a trend,” she said. “Once you're playing against people who are truly serious about it, it quickly becomes less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Community

It may seem like a some fun and games for individuals aiming to employ a game set as a networking tool, but competitive players do have their role, albeit away from the dancefloor.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who assists in organise Knight Club,says that increasingly skilled attenders have established a league table. “People who are part of the competition will face each other, we'll go to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, in his twenties, is a serious player and chess teacher. He joined in the league for about a twelve months and plays at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a welcome option to playing intense chess; it provides a feeling of belonging,” he expressed.

“It is interesting to observe how it becomes increasingly a social pastime, because in the past the sole individuals who engaged in chess were those who rarely go outside; they just remained home. It is usually just a pair competing on a chessboard …

“What appeals to me about here is that you're not actually playing against the computer, you're engaging with real people.”