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One of the most energetic spots on a weekday evening in east London's famous street couldn't be a restaurant or a urban fashion label pop-up, it's a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

This unique venue represents the unlikely crossover between the classic game and London's dynamic evening entertainment scene. It was started by a young entrepreneur, 27, who launched his first chess club in the summer of 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to make chess clubs for people who look like me and people my generation,” he explained. “Usually, chess is only put in environments that are full of older people, which isn't diverse enough.”

On the first night, there were just 8 boards between sixteen people. Today, a “successful evening” at the regular club event will attract approximately two hundred eighty people.

At first glance, the venue feels more like a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are being served and music is in the air, but the chessboards on each table aren't just ornamental or there as a gimmick: they are all in use and encircled by a queue of onlookers eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

One regular, 24, has been attending Knight Club often for the last four months. “I had no knowledge of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I tried it, I played a game against a grandmaster. It was a swift victory, but it made me fascinated to study and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half social and 50% participants genuinely wishing to engage in chess … It's a nice way to relax, which avoids visiting a typical nightspot to see other people my generation.”

An Activity Reborn: Chess in the Contemporary Era

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the societal zeitgeist. The popularity of online chess expanded rapidly throughout the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing online games in the world. Across media, the streaming series The Queen’s Gambit, as well as Sally Rooney’s latest novel a literary work, have crafted a distinct iconography associated with the game, which has drawn in a fresh generation of enthusiasts.

But a great deal of this newfound appeal of the chess club isn't always about the intricacies of the play; instead, it is the ease of connecting with others that it facilitates, by pulling up a chair and engaging with someone who may be a total unknown individual.

“It is a brilliant clever disguise,” remarked Jonah Freud, co-founder of a local venue in London, a bookstore, reading room, coffee house and bar, which has organized a popular chess club every Wednesday since it opened several years back. Freud’s aim is to “take chess from its elite status and transform it into similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It's a really easy tool to get to know people. It kind of removes the pressure of the need of small talk from interacting with people. One can handle the awkward part of making an introduction and talking to a new acquaintance over a board instead of with no kind of context involved.”

Expanding the Community: Chess Nights Beyond London

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess event held at York’s Cafe, just outside the downtown area. “Our observation was that people are looking for places where one can go out, interact and have a good time outside of going to a bar or club,” said its founder and organiser, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Alongside his friend a partner, 21, he bought game sets, created promotional materials and started the chess club in January, during his final year of university. In less than a year, Singh reported their event has expanded to draw over 100 youthful participants to its events.

“A chess club has a particular reputation associated with it, about it being quiet. Our approach is to go the opposite direction; it is a social get-together with chess involved,” he said.

Discovering and Playing: An Alternative Cohort of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the game. Zoë Kezia, in her late twenties, is learning how to play chess with other visitors of chess night at the venue. Her interest in the game was piqued after an pleasurable night moving to music and engaging in chess at a previous Knight Club's events.

“It's a unique idea, but it functions well,” she commented. “It promotes in-person exchanges rather than screen-based pastimes. It is a no-cost neutral ground to meet strangers. It's welcoming, you don't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She humorously likened the popularity of chess among the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to simulate intellectualism while signaling the appearance of “coolness”. Whether the chess craze has fostered a authentic passion in the sport isn't something she's entirely convinced by. “It's a positive phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “Once you compete with opponents who are truly dedicated about it, it rapidly turns less enjoyable.”

Serious Gaming and Community

It may seem like a some fun and games for those looking to employ a chessboard as a social vehicle, but serious players certainly have their place, albeit away from the dancefloor.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who assists in running Knight Club,says that increasingly skilled players have established a league table. “People who are in the league will face one another, we will progress to early rounds, advanced stages, and then we'll finally 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 year and plays at the club nearly every week. “This is a welcome alternative to engaging in serious chess; it provides a feeling of belonging,” he said.

“It is interesting to observe how it evolves into increasingly a communal activity, because in the past the only people who engaged in chess were people who rarely socialize; they simply stayed home. It's usually just two people competing on a chessboard …

“What appeals to me about here is that one isn't actually playing against the computer, you're engaging with live opponents.”