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One of the liveliest spots on a weekday night in east London's Brick Lane couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear label pop-up, it's a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub hybrid, to be exact.

Knight Club represents the surprising fusion between chess and the city's dynamic nightlife culture. It was founded 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 present location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to create chess clubs for people who look like me and those my generation,” he explained. “Typically, chess is only placed in spaces that are full of older people, which isn't diverse sufficiently.”

On the first night, there were just 8 boards between 16 people. Now, a “good night” at the weekly club event will draw approximately 280 people.

At first glance, Knight Club seems closer to a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are flowing and tunes is in the air, but the chessboards on each table are not just ornamental or there as a novelty: they are all in use and encircled by a line of spectators eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has been attending Knight Club often for the last several months. “I had no knowledge of chess prior to I came here, and the first time I ever played, I competed in a game with a expert player. It was a swift win, but it made me fascinated to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half networking and 50% people actually wanting to engage in chess … It is a pleasant way to unwind, which doesn't involve going to a typical nightspot to meet other people my generation.”

A Game Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Modern Era

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the cultural spirit of the times. The popularity of online chess expanded rapidly throughout the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing internet games in the world. In popular culture, the streaming series The Queen’s Gambit, along with Sally Rooney’s latest novel Intermezzo, have created a certain imagery surrounding the sport, which has attracted a new generation of players.

However a great deal of this newfound appeal of the chess night isn't always about the intricacies of the play; rather, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it enables, by pulling up a seat and engaging with a person who could be a complete unknown individual.

“It's a great clever disguise,” said one organizer, founder of a local venue in the city, a bookstore, library, cafe and bar, which has organized a popular chess club weekly since it opened four years ago. Freud’s objective is to “remove chess off a pedestal and transform it into like pool in a dive bar”.

“It's a really simple tool to meet people. It somewhat takes the weight of the need of small talk from socializing with people. You can do the uncomfortable bit of introducing yourself and chatting to someone across a game instead of with no context around it.”

Expanding the Network: Social Gatherings Outside the Capital

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a regular chess night held at York’s Cafe, just outside the city centre. “Our observation was that people are looking for spaces where you can socialize, socialise and have a fun evening beyond visiting a bar or nightclub,” stated its founder and coordinator, a young leader, 21.

Alongside his associate a partner, 21, he bought chessboards, created flyers and began the chess club in the start of the year, while in his last year of university. Within months, Singh reported Chesscafé has expanded to attract more than 100 youthful players to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a specific reputation to it, about it being reserved. Our approach is to move in the contrary direction; it is a convivial get-together with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Discovering and Playing: An Alternative Generation of Players

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 visitors of the weekly event at the venue. Her interest in the pastime was piqued after an pleasurable night moving to music and playing chess at a previous the club's occasions.

“It is a unique concept, but it works,” she commented. “It encourages in-person exchanges rather than digital pastimes. It's a free third space to meet strangers. It is welcoming, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia humorously likened the trendiness of chess with young people to the facade of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an effort to simulate intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. Whether the chess trend has fostered a genuine passion in the game is not a notion she is entirely sure about. “It's a positive phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she observed. “Once you compete against people who are really dedicated about it, it rapidly turns less enjoyable.”

Competitive Gaming and Community

It might seem like a bit of lighthearted activity for individuals looking to employ a game set as a social vehicle, but competitive players do have their role, albeit away from the main party area.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who helps running Knight Club,explains that more skilled players have established a league table. “Participants who are in the league will play each other, we'll progress to early rounds, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a competitive player and chess teacher. He has been the competition for about a year and plays at the club nearly every week. “This offers a nice option to engaging in intense chess; it provides a sense of community,” he expressed.

“It's fascinating to see how it becomes more of a social activity, because in the past the only people who played chess were people who didn't socialize; they simply remained home. It's usually just two people playing on a chessboard …

“What appeals to me about this place is that one isn't really playing against the digital opponent, you're facing real people.”