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One of the most energetic locations on a weekday night in the East End's Brick Lane couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear brand pop-up, it's a chess gathering – or rather a chess and nightlife combination, to be exact.

This unique venue represents the unlikely fusion between the classic game and the city's fervent evening entertainment culture. It was started by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who began his first chess club in the summer of 2023 at a more intimate bar in a nearby area, a short distance from the current location at a popular cafe on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to make chess clubs for people who look like me and those my age,” he said. “Typically, chess is only put in spaces that are full of older people, which isn't inclusive sufficiently.”

Initially, there were only 8 boards between 16 people. Today, a “good night” at the weekly club event will attract approximately 280 people.

Upon arrival, the venue feels more like a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are being served and tunes is playing, but the game boards on every table are not just decorative or there as a gimmick: they are all in use and surrounded by a line of onlookers waiting for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has been attending Knight Club often for the last several months. “I had no knowledge of chess prior to I came here, and the initial occasion I tried it, I competed in a game against a expert player. It was a quick win, but it left me intrigued to learn and keep playing chess,” she noted.

“This gathering is about half networking and half participants actually wishing to engage in chess … It is a pleasant way to unwind, which avoids visiting a typical nightspot to see other people my age.”

A Game Revitalized: Chess in the Contemporary Age

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the societal spirit of the times. Its appeal of digital chess expanded rapidly during the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online pastimes globally. Across media, the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, along with the author's recent novel Intermezzo, have created a distinct imagery surrounding the sport, which has drawn in a new wave of players.

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

“It is a great Trojan horse,” said Jonah Freud, founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookshop, reading room, coffee house and bar, which has hosted a popular chess club weekly since it began several years back. Freud’s aim is to “remove chess from its elite status and transform it into like billiards in a casual pub”.

“It is a really simple tool to meet people. It kind of removes the pressure of the necessity of conversation away from socializing with people. You can do the awkward bit of making an introduction and chatting to a new acquaintance across a game instead of with no kind of context around it.”

Growing the Network: Social Gatherings Outside the Capital

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a recurring chess night held at York’s Cafe, just outside the city centre. “Our observation was that individuals are seeking places where you can go out, socialise and have a fun evening outside of visiting a bar or nightclub,” said its creator and coordinator, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Alongside his associate Abdirahim Haji, also young, Singh purchased game sets, created promotional materials and began the chess club in January, while in his final year of college. Within months, Singh said Chesscafé has grown to attract over 100 young players to its events.

“A chess club has a particular reputation to it, about it seeming quiet. Our approach is to move in the opposite way; it is a social party with chess involved,” he said.

Learning and Playing: A New Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. One participant, in her late twenties, is picking up how to participate in chess with fellow attenders of chess night at Reference Point. She became curious in the pastime was sparked after an pleasurable night dancing and engaging in chess at a previous Knight Club's events.

“It is a strange idea, but it works,” she commented. “It promotes in-person interactions rather than screen-based activities. It's a no-cost third space to encounter strangers. It's inviting, you don't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She humorously likened the trendiness of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to feign braininess while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. If the chess craze has cultivated a authentic interest in the game isn't something she's entirely sure about. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s very much a trend,” she observed. “When you're playing with opponents who are really dedicated about it, it quickly becomes less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It may all be a some fun and games for those looking to use a game set as a networking tool, but competitive participants do have their place, albeit away from the dancefloor.

Another organizer, 22, who helps organise Knight Club,explains that more skilled attenders have formed a league table. “People who are in the league will face one another, we'll progress to early rounds, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a serious competitor and chess instructor. He joined the competition for about a year and participates at the club almost every week. “This is a nice option to playing serious chess; it provides a feeling of community,” he expressed.

“It is interesting to observe how it becomes more of a social pastime, because previously the sole people who engaged in chess were those who didn't go outside; they just stayed home. It's usually just a pair competing on a chessboard …

“The thing I like about here is that one isn't actually playing against the digital opponent, you are facing live opponents.”