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Among the most energetic locations on a weekday evening in east London's Brick Lane couldn't be a dining spot or a urban fashion label temporary shop, it is a chess club – or a chess and nightlife combination, to be exact.

Knight Club represents the unlikely blend between the classic game and the city's dynamic evening entertainment culture. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who launched his initial chess club in the summer of 2023 at a smaller bar in a nearby area, a short distance from the current location at Café 1001 on the iconic lane.

“My goal was to make chess clubs for people who share my background and those my age,” he explained. “Typically, chess is only placed in spaces that are dominated by older people, which isn't diverse sufficiently.”

Initially, there were only 8 boards between 16 people. Today, a “good night” at the regular Knight Club will draw approximately two hundred eighty attendees.

At first glance, the venue feels closer to a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are being served and tunes is in the air, but the game boards on every table aren't just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all in use and encircled by a line of onlookers eagerly anticipating for their turn.

One regular, 24, has been attending Knight Club often for the past four months. “I possessed little understanding of chess prior to I came here, and the first time I ever played, I competed in a game with a expert player. That was a swift win, but it made me fascinated to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she noted.

“This gathering is about 50% social and half people actually wanting to play chess … It's a nice way to unwind, which avoids going to a typical nightspot to meet others my age.”

An Activity Reborn: Chess in the Modern Age

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the societal spirit of the times. Its appeal of online chess proliferated throughout the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the most rapidly expanding internet games in the world. Across media, the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, along with the author's recent novel Intermezzo, have created a certain imagery surrounding the sport, which has attracted a fresh generation of players.

But a great deal of this newfound appeal of the chess club is not always about the intricacies of the game; instead, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it enables, by pulling up a chair and playing with a person who could be a complete stranger.

“It's a great clever disguise,” said Jonah Freud, founder of Reference Point in London, a bookshop, library, coffee house and bar, which has organized a well-attended chess club weekly since it opened four years ago. Freud’s objective is to “take chess off a pedestal and transform it into similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It's a very easy tool to get to know people. It somewhat removes the pressure of the necessity of conversation away from interacting with people. One can do the uncomfortable part of introducing yourself and chatting to someone over a game instead of with no kind of shared activity involved.”

Expanding the Community: Social Gatherings Outside the Capital

In Birmingham, Chesscafé is a recurring chess event taking place at a city cafe, near the city centre. “Our observation was that people are seeking places where one can go out, socialise and have a good time beyond visiting a bar or club,” said its creator and coordinator, Karan Singh, 21.

Alongside his friend a partner, 21, he bought chessboards, printed flyers and began the chess club in the start of the year, while in his last year of college. Within months, Singh said Chesscafé has grown to attract more than one hundred young players to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a particular connotation to it, about it being quiet. Our approach is to go the opposite way; it is a convivial party with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Discovering and Playing: A New Cohort of Chess Enthusiasts

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. Zoë Kezia, in her late twenties, is learning how to participate in chess with fellow visitors of chess night at the venue. Her interest in the game was piqued after an enjoyable night moving to music and engaging in chess at one of the club's occasions.

“It's a unique idea, but it functions well,” she said. “It encourages in-person exchanges rather than screen-based activities. It is a no-cost third space to meet new people. It is inviting, you don't have to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

She humorously likened the popularity of chess among young people to the superficial image of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an effort to feign braininess while projecting the appearance of “hipness”. If the chess trend has fostered a authentic interest in the game is not a notion she is quite convinced by. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s very much a trend,” she observed. “When you compete with opponents who are really serious about it, it rapidly becomes less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It may seem like a some lighthearted activity for those aiming to use a chessboard as a social vehicle, but competitive players do have their place, even if away from the dancefloor.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who helps running Knight Club,explains that increasingly competitive players have formed a competitive ranking. “Participants who are part of the competition will face one another, we'll progress to early rounds, semi-finals, and then we'll finally have a champion.”

A dedicated player, 23, is a serious competitor and chess teacher. He has been in the league for about a year and plays at the club almost weekly. “This is a welcome option to playing serious chess; it provides a feeling of community,” he said.

“It is fascinating to observe how it becomes more of a social activity, because in the past the sole individuals who engaged in chess were people who didn't go outside; they just remained home. It's typically only two people playing on a game board …

“What appeals to me about this place is that you're not actually facing the digital opponent, you're facing real people.”