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Among the liveliest locations on a Tuesday night in the East End's famous street isn't a dining spot or a streetwear label temporary shop, it's a chess club – or rather a chess and nightlife combination, precisely speaking.

Knight Club represents the surprising blend between chess and London's fervent nightlife culture. It was started by Yusuf Ntahilaja, in his late twenties, who began his first chess club in August 2023 at a more intimate bar in a nearby area, a short distance from the present location at a popular cafe on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to make chess clubs for people who look like me and people my generation,” he said. “Usually, chess is only put in environments that are dominated by senior individuals, which isn't diverse enough.”

Initially, there were only 8 boards between 16 people. Now, a “good night” at the weekly club event will draw about 280 attendees.

At first glance, the venue seems closer to a music night than a chess club. Mixed drinks are being served and music is in the air, but the chessboards on every table are not just ornamental or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a line of spectators eagerly anticipating for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has been attending Knight Club often for the past several months. “I possessed no knowledge of chess before I came here, and the initial occasion I ever played, I competed in a game against a grandmaster. It was a swift victory, but it made me fascinated to study and keep playing chess,” she said.

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

A Game Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Modern Era

Lately, chess has been cemented in the societal spirit of the times. Its appeal of online chess expanded rapidly throughout the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online games in the world. In popular culture, the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, along with Sally Rooney’s latest novel a literary work, have crafted a distinct iconography associated with the sport, which has drawn in a fresh wave of enthusiasts.

However a great deal of this recent appeal of the chess club is not always about the intricacies of the game; rather, it is the ease of social interaction that it facilitates, by taking a chair and engaging with someone who could be a complete stranger.

“It's a brilliant clever disguise,” remarked Jonah Freud, co-founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookshop, reading room, coffee house and bar, which has hosted a well-attended 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 dive bar”.

“It's a very simple vehicle to meet people. It kind of removes the weight of the necessity of small talk away from interacting with people. One can handle the awkward bit of making an introduction and talking to a new acquaintance across a board instead of with no shared activity involved.”

Growing the Community: Social Gatherings Beyond the Capital

Elsewhere in the UK, a similar initiative is a regular chess event held at York’s Cafe, near the downtown area. “We found that individuals are seeking spaces where one can socialize, interact and have a good time outside of visiting a pub or club,” said its founder and organiser, Karan Singh, 21.

Alongside his friend a partner, also young, Singh purchased chessboards, created promotional materials and began the chess club in January, while in his last year of university. Within months, Singh said their event has grown to attract over one hundred youthful players to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a particular connotation associated with it, about it being reserved. We really try to go the opposite way; it is a social party with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Learning and Engaging: A New Generation of Players

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. One participant, 27, is picking up how to play chess with fellow attenders of the weekly event at Reference Point. She became curious in the pastime was sparked after an pleasurable evening dancing and playing chess at one of Knight Club's events.

“It is a strange idea, but it functions well,” she said. “It promotes face-to-face interactions rather than digital activities. It's a free neutral ground to encounter strangers. It's welcoming, one doesn't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She jokingly likened the popularity of chess among young people to the superficial image of the “performative male”, an attempt to feign braininess while signaling the veneer of “hipness”. Whether the chess craze has cultivated a authentic interest in the sport is not something she is quite sure about. “It is a wholesome trend, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “Once you compete with people who are truly serious about it, it quickly turns less enjoyable.”

Competitive Gaming and Togetherness

It might seem like a some fun and games for those aiming to use a game set as a networking tool, but serious players do have their role, even if away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who helps running the club,explains that more competitive attenders have established a league table. “Participants who are part of the competition will play each other, we'll progress to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we will finally 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 is a welcome alternative to engaging in intense chess; it gives a feeling of community,” he expressed.

“It is fascinating to see how it becomes increasingly a communal pastime, because previously the sole individuals who played chess were those who didn't go outside; they simply remained home. It's typically just a pair competing on a game board …

“What appeals to me about here is that you're not actually facing the digital opponent, you are facing live opponents.”