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Among the most vibrant locations on a Tuesday evening in the East End's Brick Lane couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear brand pop-up, it is a chess club – or a chess and nightlife hybrid, precisely speaking.

Knight Club embodies the surprising crossover between chess and London's fervent evening entertainment culture. It was started by Yusuf Ntahilaja, in his late twenties, who launched his initial chess club in the summer of 2023 at a more intimate bar in a nearby area, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to make chess clubs for individuals who look like me and people my age,” he said. “Usually, chess is only put in spaces that are dominated by older people, which is not diverse sufficiently.”

On the first night, there were only eight boards between 16 people. Today, a “good night” at the regular Knight Club will attract about 280 people.

Upon arrival, Knight Club feels more like a DJ event than a chess club. Cocktails are flowing and tunes is playing, but the game boards on every table are not just decorative or there as a gimmick: they are all in use and surrounded by a line of spectators eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has been attending the club regularly for the past four months. “I possessed little understanding of chess before my first visit, and the initial occasion I tried it, I played a game with a expert player. That was a quick victory, but it made me fascinated to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half social and 50% people genuinely wanting to engage in chess … It's a pleasant way to relax, which doesn't involve going to a club to see other people my age.”

An Activity Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Modern Era

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the cultural zeitgeist. The popularity of online chess proliferated throughout the pandemic, establishing it as one of the most rapidly expanding online pastimes in the world. Across media, the Netflix series a hit show, along with Sally Rooney’s latest novel a literary work, have crafted a distinct iconography surrounding the sport, which has attracted a new wave of enthusiasts.

However much of this newfound attraction of the chess club isn't always about the intricacies of the game; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it enables, by taking a seat and playing with someone who may be a complete unknown individual.

“It's a brilliant Trojan horse,” said Jonah Freud, founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookstore, reading room, cafe and bar, which has organized a popular chess club weekly since it opened four years ago. His aim is to “remove chess from its elite status and transform it into similar to billiards in a dive bar”.

“It is a really simple vehicle to get to know people. It kind of takes the pressure of the necessity of small talk from interacting with people. You can handle the awkward bit of introducing yourself and talking to a new acquaintance over a board rather than with no context around it.”

Growing the Network: Social Gatherings Outside the Capital

In Birmingham, Chesscafé is a regular chess night taking place at a city cafe, near the downtown area. “Our observation was that individuals are looking for spaces where you can socialize, interact and enjoy a good time beyond going to a bar or club,” said its founder and organiser, a young leader, 21.

Together with his friend Abdirahim Haji, 21, Singh bought game sets, created promotional materials and started the chess club in January, while in his last year of college. Within months, Singh reported Chesscafé has grown to attract more than one hundred young players to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a specific reputation associated with it, about it seeming quiet. We really try to go the contrary direction; it's a social party with chess involved,” he emphasized.

Discovering and Engaging: An Alternative Generation of Players

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. One participant, 27, is learning how to play chess with fellow attenders of the weekly event at Reference Point. Her interest in the pastime was piqued after an pleasurable night dancing and playing chess at one of Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a strange idea, but it works,” she said. “It encourages in-person exchanges rather than screen-based pastimes. It is a free neutral ground to meet new people. It is welcoming, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia humorously compared the trendiness of chess with the youth to the facade of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an effort to simulate intellectualism while projecting the veneer of “hipness”. If the chess trend has fostered a authentic interest in the sport is not something she is quite convinced by. “It's a positive trend, but it’s very much a trend,” she observed. “When you're playing against people who are really dedicated about it, it rapidly turns less fun.”

Competitive Gaming and Community

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

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

Ryames Chan, in his twenties, is a serious player and chess instructor. He joined in the league for about a twelve months and participates at the club nearly every week. “This is a welcome alternative to engaging in intense chess; it provides a sense of belonging,” he expressed.

“It is fascinating to see how it evolves into increasingly a social pastime, because previously the only people who played chess were people who didn't go outside; they just remained home. It's usually just a pair playing on a game board …

“The thing I like about here is that you're not actually facing the computer, you are engaging with live opponents.”