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Among the most energetic locations on a weekday evening in the East End's famous street isn't a dining spot or a urban fashion brand pop-up, it's a chess gathering – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

This unique venue embodies the surprising blend between the classic game and London's dynamic evening entertainment culture. It was founded by Yusuf Ntahilaja, 27, who launched his first chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to create chess clubs for people who share my background and people my generation,” he said. “Usually, chess is only placed in spaces that are full of older people, which isn't diverse enough.”

Initially, there were just eight boards shared by 16 people. Now, a “successful evening” at the weekly club event will attract approximately 280 people.

Upon arrival, Knight Club feels 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 aren't just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a line of onlookers eagerly anticipating for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has been attending Knight Club regularly for the past four months. “I possessed little understanding of chess before my first visit, and the first time I tried it, I played a game against a expert player. That was a quick victory, but it made me intrigued to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about 50% networking and 50% people actually wishing to engage in chess … It is a pleasant way to unwind, which avoids visiting a typical nightspot to see other people my generation.”

An Activity Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Modern Era

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the cultural zeitgeist. The popularity of digital chess expanded rapidly throughout the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing internet pastimes in the world. Across media, the streaming series The Queen’s Gambit, along with the author's latest novel Intermezzo, have crafted a distinct iconography surrounding the sport, which has attracted a fresh wave of enthusiasts.

However much of this newfound attraction of the chess night is not necessarily about the technicalities of the game; rather, it is the ease of social interaction that it enables, by pulling up a seat and engaging with a person who may be a complete unknown individual.

“It's a great clever disguise,” said Jonah Freud, co-founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, reading room, cafe and lounge, which has hosted a popular chess club every Wednesday since it began several years back. His objective is to “remove chess from its elite status and make it feel similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It's a really easy vehicle to meet people. It kind of takes the weight of the need of small talk away from interacting with people. You can handle the uncomfortable part of making an introduction and chatting to a new acquaintance over a game instead of with no kind of shared activity around it.”

Expanding the Community: Social Gatherings Beyond London

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess night held at York’s Cafe, near the city centre. “Our observation was that people are looking for spaces where one can go out, socialise and enjoy a good time outside of going to a bar or club,” stated its founder and organiser, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Together with his friend a partner, also young, Singh bought game sets, created promotional materials and started the chess club in the start of the year, during his last year of university. Within months, he said their event has grown to attract over 100 young participants to its events.

“A chess club has a specific reputation to it, about it seeming quiet. Our approach is to move in the opposite way; it is a social party with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Learning and Playing: A New Cohort of Players

For many, chess clubs are an introduction to the game. One participant, in her late twenties, is learning how to participate in chess with other attenders of chess night at Reference Point. She became curious in the game was piqued after an enjoyable night dancing and playing chess at a previous Knight Club's events.

“It is a unique idea, but it works,” she commented. “It encourages in-person interactions rather than digital pastimes. It is a free neutral ground to meet new people. It's inviting, you don't have to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

She jokingly likened the trendiness of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an effort to feign intellectualism while signaling the veneer of “coolness”. Whether the chess craze has cultivated a authentic interest in the sport is not a notion she is entirely convinced by. “It is a positive trend, but it’s very much a trend,” she observed. “When you compete against people who are really dedicated about it, it quickly turns less fun.”

Competitive Gaming and Togetherness

It might all be a some lighthearted activity for individuals looking to use a chessboard as a networking tool, but competitive players do have their role, even if away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who assists in organise Knight Club,says that more competitive players have established a competitive ranking. “Participants who are in the league will face each other, we will progress to early rounds, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, in his twenties, is a serious player and chess teacher. He has been in the league for about a twelve months and participates at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a welcome alternative to playing serious chess; it gives a sense of belonging,” he expressed.

“It's interesting to see how it evolves into increasingly a social activity, because in the past the sole people who engaged in chess were people who rarely socialize; they just remained home. It's usually just two people competing on a chessboard …

“The thing appeals to me about this place is that one isn't actually facing the digital opponent, you are facing live opponents.”