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One of the most energetic spots on a weekday night in east London's Brick Lane isn't a dining spot or a urban fashion label pop-up, it is a chess gathering – or rather a chess club-nightclub combination, precisely speaking.

Knight Club represents the surprising blend between chess and the city's dynamic evening entertainment scene. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who launched his first chess club in August 2023 at a more intimate bar in Aldgate, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on the iconic lane.

“I wanted to make chess clubs for individuals who share my background and those my generation,” he explained. “Usually, chess is only placed in spaces that are full of senior individuals, which isn't inclusive enough.”

On the first night, there were only 8 boards shared by sixteen people. Today, a “successful evening” at the weekly club event will attract about 280 people.

At first glance, the venue feels closer to a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are flowing and music is in the air, but the game boards on each table are not just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and encircled by a queue of onlookers eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

One regular, 24, has been attending the club regularly for the last several months. “I had no knowledge of chess prior to I came here, and the initial occasion I ever played, I competed in a game against a grandmaster. That was a quick victory, but it left me intrigued to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“The event is about half networking and half participants genuinely wishing to play chess … It's a nice way to decompress, which avoids going to a typical nightspot to see other people my generation.”

A Game Reborn: Chess in the Contemporary Age

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the societal spirit of the times. The popularity of digital chess expanded rapidly during the pandemic, making it one of the most rapidly expanding internet pastimes in the world. Across media, the streaming series The Queen’s Gambit, as well as the author's recent novel a literary work, have crafted a certain imagery associated with the game, which has drawn in a new generation of enthusiasts.

But much of this newfound appeal of the chess night isn't necessarily about the intricacies of the game; instead, it is the ease of connecting with others that it enables, by taking a seat and playing with a person who may be a complete unknown individual.

“It is a brilliant Trojan horse,” said Jonah Freud, co-founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, library, coffee house and lounge, which has organized a popular chess club every Wednesday since it opened four years ago. His objective is to “remove chess from its elite status and transform it into like pool in a dive bar”.

“It is a really easy vehicle to meet people. It somewhat takes the weight of the need of conversation away from interacting with people. You can handle the uncomfortable bit of introducing yourself and talking to a new acquaintance over a board instead of with no kind of context involved.”

Expanding the Community: Social Gatherings Beyond London

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a regular chess night held at a city cafe, near the downtown area. “We found that people are seeking places where you can socialize, interact and enjoy a good time outside of going to a pub or club,” stated its founder and organiser, a young leader, 21.

Together with his associate a partner, also young, Singh purchased chessboards, created promotional materials and started the chess club in January, during his final year of college. In less than a year, Singh reported their event has expanded to draw more than 100 young participants to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a specific reputation to it, about it being reserved. We really try to move in the opposite direction; it's a social party with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Learning and Engaging: An Alternative Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. One participant, 27, is picking up how to participate in chess with other visitors of the weekly event at the venue. Her interest in the pastime was piqued after an pleasurable evening moving to music and engaging in chess at one of the club's occasions.

“It is a strange idea, but it functions well,” she commented. “It encourages face-to-face exchanges instead of digital pastimes. It's a no-cost third space to encounter new people. It is welcoming, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia jokingly likened the popularity of chess among young people to the facade of the “performative male”, an effort to feign braininess while signaling the veneer of “coolness”. Whether the chess craze has fostered a authentic passion in the sport isn't something she is quite sure about. “It's a positive phenomenon, but it’s very much a fad,” she observed. “Once you're playing with opponents who are really dedicated about it, it rapidly becomes less fun.”

Serious Gaming and Togetherness

It may seem like a some lighthearted activity for individuals aiming to use a game set as a networking tool, but serious participants certainly have their role, even if away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who assists in running Knight Club,says that increasingly skilled players have established a league table. “Participants who are in the league will play one another, we will progress to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a champion.”

A dedicated player, in his twenties, is a serious player and chess instructor. He has been in the league for about a twelve months and participates at the club nearly weekly. “This is a nice option to engaging in intense chess; it provides a feeling of community,” he said.

“It is interesting to observe how it evolves into increasingly a communal pastime, because in the past the only individuals who engaged in chess were those who rarely go outside; they just stayed home. It's usually just a pair playing on a chessboard …

“What I like about this place is that one isn't really playing against the computer, you are engaging with live opponents.”