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Among the liveliest venues on a Tuesday evening in east London's Brick Lane isn't a restaurant or a urban fashion label temporary shop, it's a chess club – or rather a chess and nightlife combination, precisely speaking.

Knight Club represents the surprising fusion between the classic game and the city's fervent nightlife culture. It was founded by Yusuf Ntahilaja, 27, who launched his first chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the current location at Café 1001 on the iconic lane.

“My goal was to make chess clubs for individuals who look like me and people my age,” he explained. “Typically, chess is only placed in environments that are dominated by older people, which isn't inclusive enough.”

On the first night, there were just 8 boards shared by 16 people. Now, a “successful evening” at the regular Knight Club will draw approximately two hundred eighty people.

At first glance, the venue feels more like a DJ event than a chess club. Cocktails are being served and music is in the air, but the chessboards on every table are not just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a line of spectators waiting for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, in her mid-twenties, has frequented Knight Club often for the last several months. “I had no knowledge of chess before my first visit, and the initial occasion I ever played, I played a game against a grandmaster. It was a quick win, but it made me fascinated to study and keep playing chess,” she said.

“The event is about half social and half participants genuinely wishing to engage in chess … It is a nice way to relax, which doesn't involve visiting a typical nightspot to meet other people my generation.”

An Activity Revitalized: Chess in the Modern Era

Lately, chess has been cemented in the cultural spirit of the times. The popularity of online chess proliferated throughout the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online pastimes globally. Across media, the streaming series a hit show, along with the author's latest novel Intermezzo, have crafted a distinct iconography associated with the game, which has drawn in a new generation of players.

However much of this newfound attraction of the chess club is not always about the technicalities of the game; instead, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it facilitates, by pulling up a seat and engaging with a person who could be a complete unknown individual.

“It's a brilliant Trojan horse,” remarked Jonah Freud, co-founder of Reference Point in London, a bookstore, reading room, coffee house and bar, which has organized a popular chess club every Wednesday since it began several years back. Freud’s objective is to “take chess from its elite status and transform it into similar to billiards in a casual pub”.

“It's a very easy vehicle to get to know people. It kind of takes the pressure of the need of small talk away from interacting with people. One can handle the uncomfortable part of introducing yourself and chatting to a new acquaintance over a board instead of with no shared activity involved.”

Growing the Network: Chess Nights Beyond the Capital

In Birmingham, Chesscafé is a recurring chess night held at a city cafe, near the downtown area. “Our observation was that individuals are seeking spaces where you can socialize, interact and have a fun evening beyond going to a bar or nightclub,” said its creator and organiser, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Together with his associate Abdirahim Haji, also young, Singh purchased game sets, printed promotional materials and began the chess club in January, during his last year of college. In less than a year, Singh said Chesscafé has grown to draw more than 100 youthful participants to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a particular reputation associated with it, about it being quiet. We really try to go the contrary direction; it is a convivial party with chess involved,” he said.

Discovering and Playing: An Alternative Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. Zoë Kezia, in her late twenties, is picking up how to play chess with fellow visitors of chess night at Reference Point. She became curious in the pastime was piqued after an enjoyable evening dancing and playing chess at a previous Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a strange idea, but it works,” she said. “It encourages in-person interactions rather than digital pastimes. It is a free third space to meet strangers. It's inviting, one doesn't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She humorously likened the trendiness of chess among the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an effort to feign intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. If the chess trend has cultivated a authentic interest in the sport is not a notion she's quite convinced by. “It is a positive phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she observed. “Once you compete with people who are really dedicated about it, it quickly turns less enjoyable.”

Competitive Gaming and Togetherness

It might all be a bit of fun and games for individuals aiming to employ a game set as a networking tool, but competitive players certainly have their place, even if off the dancefloor.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who assists in organise the club,says that increasingly skilled players have formed a competitive ranking. “People who are part of the competition will face each other, we will go to early rounds, advanced stages, and then we'll eventually have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a serious player and chess instructor. He joined the competition for about a twelve months and plays at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a nice option to engaging in serious chess; it provides a sense of community,” he said.

“It's interesting to see how it becomes more of a social activity, because previously the only individuals who engaged in chess were people who didn't socialize; they simply remained home. It's typically only a pair competing on a chessboard …

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