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One of the liveliest locations on a Tuesday evening in the East End's famous street couldn't be a restaurant or a streetwear brand temporary shop, it is a chess club – or a chess club-nightclub hybrid, precisely speaking.

Knight Club represents the surprising blend between the classic game and London's fervent nightlife culture. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, 27, who launched his initial chess club in the summer of 2023 at a more intimate bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the present location at Café 1001 on the iconic lane.

“I wanted to make chess clubs for people who look like me and people my age,” he said. “Typically, chess is only put in spaces that are full of senior individuals, which isn't diverse enough.”

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

Upon arrival, Knight Club feels closer to a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are flowing and tunes is playing, but the game boards on each table are not just decorative or there as a gimmick: they are all in use and encircled by a queue of spectators waiting for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has frequented the club regularly for the last several months. “I had little understanding of chess prior to my first visit, and the first time I ever played, I played a game against a grandmaster. That was a quick victory, but it left me intrigued to study and keep playing chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about 50% social and half participants 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 age.”

An Activity Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Era

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the societal spirit of the times. Its appeal of digital chess proliferated during the pandemic, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online pastimes in the world. Across media, the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, as well as Sally Rooney’s latest novel a literary work, have created a distinct imagery associated with the sport, which has attracted a fresh generation of players.

But much of this recent appeal of the chess club is not necessarily about the technicalities of the game; rather, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it enables, by pulling up a chair and playing with a person who may be a total stranger.

“It is a brilliant Trojan horse,” remarked Jonah Freud, founder of Reference Point in London, a bookshop, library, coffee house and bar, which has organized a well-attended chess club every Wednesday since it began several years back. His aim is to “take chess off a pedestal and make it feel similar to pool in a dive bar”.

“It is a very easy tool to get to know people. It kind of removes the pressure of the need of conversation from interacting with people. One can do the uncomfortable bit of introducing yourself and talking to someone across a board instead of with no kind of shared activity involved.”

Growing the Community: Chess Nights Outside the Capital

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess night held at York’s Cafe, near the downtown area. “Our observation was that individuals are seeking places where you can socialize, socialise and enjoy a fun evening beyond visiting a bar or club,” stated its creator and organiser, a young leader, 21.

Alongside his friend a partner, also young, he bought game sets, created flyers and started the chess club in January, while in his final year of college. In less than a year, Singh said Chesscafé has expanded to draw more than 100 young players to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a specific reputation to it, about it being reserved. We really try to go the opposite way; it's a convivial party with chess as part of it,” he said.

Discovering and Engaging: 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 play chess with fellow visitors of the weekly event at the venue. Her interest in the pastime was piqued after an enjoyable night moving to music and playing chess at a previous Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a strange concept, but it works,” she commented. “It promotes face-to-face interactions rather than screen-based pastimes. It's a free neutral ground to encounter strangers. It is inviting, one doesn't have to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia jokingly compared the trendiness of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to feign intellectualism while projecting the veneer of “hipness”. Whether the chess craze has fostered a genuine passion in the game is not something she's quite convinced by. “It's a wholesome trend, but it’s very much a fad,” she observed. “Once you compete against people who are really serious about it, it rapidly becomes less fun.”

Serious Gaming and Community

It may seem like a bit of fun and games for those aiming to use a game set as a social vehicle, but serious players do have their role, albeit away from the main party area.

Another organizer, 22, who assists in running the club,says that increasingly skilled attenders have formed a league table. “People who are part of the competition will play each other, we will go to quarter-finals, advanced stages, and then we'll finally have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, in his twenties, is a competitive player and chess instructor. He joined the competition for about a year and plays at the club nearly weekly. “This is a welcome option to playing serious chess; it provides a sense of belonging,” he said.

“It is interesting to see how it becomes increasingly a social activity, because previously the sole individuals who engaged in chess were people who didn't socialize; they just remained home. It's usually only two people competing on a chessboard …

“The thing appeals to me about here is that you're not actually playing against the computer, you're facing live opponents.”