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Among the most vibrant locations on a Tuesday night in east London's famous street couldn't be a dining spot or a urban fashion label temporary shop, it's a chess club – or rather a chess and nightlife combination, to be exact.

This unique venue embodies the unlikely crossover between the classic game and London's dynamic evening entertainment culture. It was founded 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, a short distance from the current location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

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

Initially, there were only 8 boards shared by 16 people. Today, a “successful evening” at the weekly Knight Club will draw approximately two hundred eighty people.

Upon arrival, Knight Club seems closer to a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are being served and music is playing, but the game boards on each table aren't just decorative or there as a gimmick: they are all in use and surrounded by a line of spectators eagerly anticipating for their turn.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has frequented the club often for the past several months. “I had no knowledge of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I tried it, I competed in a game against a expert player. That was a swift victory, but it left me fascinated to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she noted.

“The event is about half social and half participants genuinely wanting to engage in chess … It is a nice way to unwind, which doesn't involve visiting a club to see other people my generation.”

An Activity Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Age

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the cultural spirit of the times. Its appeal of online chess proliferated throughout the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online games globally. In popular culture, the streaming series a hit show, along with Sally Rooney’s latest novel a literary work, have crafted a certain iconography surrounding the game, which has drawn in a fresh generation of players.

But much of this newfound appeal of the chess club isn't always about the technicalities of the game; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it enables, by taking a chair and engaging with someone who could be a complete stranger.

“It is a brilliant Trojan horse,” said one organizer, co-founder of Reference Point in London, a bookstore, library, coffee house and lounge, which has hosted a popular chess club weekly since it opened several years back. His aim is to “take chess from its elite status and transform it into like pool in a dive bar”.

“It's a very simple tool to meet people. It somewhat takes the pressure of the necessity of small talk away from interacting with people. You can do the awkward part of making an introduction and chatting to a new acquaintance across a board instead of with no kind of shared activity involved.”

Growing the Network: Social Gatherings Outside London

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess night taking place at York’s Cafe, just outside the city centre. “We found that individuals are seeking spaces where one can socialize, socialise and enjoy a fun evening beyond going to a bar or club,” said its founder and coordinator, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Alongside his friend a partner, 21, he bought game sets, printed flyers and started the chess club in the start of the year, while in his final year of university. Within months, he said their event has grown to draw more than one hundred youthful players to its events.

“A chess club has a particular connotation associated with it, about it being quiet. We really try to go the contrary way; it's a social party with chess as part of it,” he said.

Learning and Playing: A New Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an introduction to the game. One participant, in her late twenties, is learning how to participate in chess with fellow attenders of the weekly event at Reference Point. She became curious in the game was sparked after an pleasurable evening dancing and engaging in chess at one of Knight Club's occasions.

“It's a strange idea, but it works,” she said. “It promotes face-to-face interactions instead of digital pastimes. It's a free third space to meet strangers. It's inviting, you don't have to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

She humorously likened the trendiness of chess among young people to the superficial image of the “performative male”, an attempt to feign braininess while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. If the chess craze has fostered a genuine interest in the game is not a notion she is quite convinced by. “It's a positive trend, but it’s very much a fad,” she said. “Once you compete with people who are truly serious about it, it rapidly turns less fun.”

Competitive Gaming and Community

It may seem like a bit of lighthearted activity for individuals looking to use a chessboard as a networking tool, but competitive participants do have their role, even if away from the dancefloor.

Another organizer, 22, who assists in organise the club,says that increasingly skilled attenders have formed a league table. “Participants who are in the league will face each other, we'll progress to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a serious competitor and chess teacher. He joined the competition for about a twelve months and participates at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a welcome option to playing serious chess; it gives a sense of community,” he expressed.

“It is fascinating to observe how it evolves into increasingly a communal pastime, because previously the sole people who engaged in chess were those who rarely socialize; they just stayed home. It is usually only a pair playing on a game board …

“What I like about this place is that you're not actually playing against the digital opponent, you're facing live opponents.”