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Among the liveliest locations on a Tuesday night in the East End's Brick Lane couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear brand pop-up, it's a chess club – or rather a chess and nightlife fusion, to be exact.

Knight Club represents the surprising blend between the classic game and the city's fervent nightlife culture. It was started by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who launched his first chess club in the summer of 2023 at a more intimate bar in a nearby area, not too far from the present location at a popular cafe on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to make chess clubs for individuals who share my background and those my generation,” he explained. “Usually, chess is only put in environments that are dominated by senior individuals, which is not diverse sufficiently.”

On the first night, there were only 8 boards between 16 people. Now, a “good night” at the regular Knight Club will attract about two hundred eighty attendees.

Upon arrival, Knight Club feels closer to a music night than a chess club. Cocktails are flowing and tunes is in the air, but the chessboards on every table aren't just decorative or there as a gimmick: they are all occupied and encircled by a queue of spectators waiting for their chance to play.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has frequented Knight Club often for the last four months. “I had no knowledge of chess prior to my first visit, and the first time I ever played, I competed in a game with a grandmaster. It was a quick victory, but it left me intrigued to study and keep playing chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half social and 50% people genuinely wishing to play chess … It is a nice way to unwind, which avoids visiting a typical nightspot to see others my age.”

An Activity Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Modern Era

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the societal zeitgeist. The popularity of online chess proliferated throughout the pandemic, establishing it as one of the most rapidly expanding online games globally. In popular culture, the streaming series a hit show, along with Sally Rooney’s latest novel Intermezzo, have crafted a certain iconography associated with the game, which has attracted a new generation of players.

But much of this newfound attraction of the chess club is not necessarily about the technicalities of the game; instead, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it facilitates, by pulling up a chair and playing with a person who could be a total unknown individual.

“It is a brilliant Trojan horse,” said one organizer, founder of a local venue in London, a bookstore, library, cafe and lounge, which has organized a well-attended chess club weekly since it began four years ago. His objective is to “remove chess off a pedestal and make it feel similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It is a very easy tool to get to know people. It somewhat removes the weight of the necessity of small talk away from socializing with people. One can handle the awkward bit of introducing yourself and talking to a new acquaintance across a board rather than with no context around it.”

Growing the Network: Chess Nights Outside 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 individuals are seeking spaces where you can go out, socialise and have a good time outside of visiting a pub or club,” stated its creator and organiser, Karan Singh, 21.

Together with his friend Abdirahim Haji, 21, he bought game sets, created promotional materials and started the chess club in January, while in his final year of college. Within months, he reported their event has grown to attract over 100 young participants to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a specific connotation to it, about it being reserved. We really try to go the contrary way; it's a convivial get-together with chess involved,” he emphasized.

Learning and Playing: A New Cohort of Players

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an introduction to the game. One participant, 27, is learning how to participate in chess with fellow visitors of the weekly event at Reference Point. Her interest in the pastime was sparked after an pleasurable evening dancing and playing chess at one of the club's events.

“It's a strange idea, but it functions well,” she said. “It encourages face-to-face interactions rather than digital activities. It is a free neutral ground to encounter strangers. It's inviting, you don't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

Kezia humorously likened the trendiness of chess among the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to simulate braininess while signaling the appearance of “coolness”. Whether the chess trend has fostered a genuine passion in the game isn't something she is quite convinced by. “It's a positive phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she observed. “Once you're playing with people who are really serious about it, it quickly becomes less enjoyable.”

Competitive Play and Community

It might seem like a bit of lighthearted activity for individuals aiming to employ a game set as a networking tool, but serious players do have their role, albeit off the main party area.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who assists in organise the club,explains that more competitive attenders have formed a competitive ranking. “Participants who are part of the competition will face each other, we'll go to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, in his twenties, is a serious competitor and chess instructor. He has been in the league for about a year and plays at the club almost every week. “This offers a welcome option to engaging in intense chess; it gives a sense of community,” he said.

“It's interesting to observe how it becomes increasingly a communal activity, because in the past the sole people who engaged in chess were those who didn't socialize; they just stayed home. It's usually just a pair playing on a game board …

“The thing I like about this place is that you're not actually playing against the digital opponent, you are engaging with real people.”