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Among the liveliest venues on a weekday evening in east London's Brick Lane couldn't be a restaurant or a urban fashion brand pop-up, it is a chess club – or a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

This unique venue represents the unlikely fusion between the classic game and the city's fervent evening entertainment scene. It was founded by Yusuf Ntahilaja, 27, who began his initial chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in a nearby area, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on the iconic lane.

“My goal was to create chess clubs for people who share my background and people my generation,” he said. “Usually, chess is only placed in spaces that are dominated by senior individuals, which is not inclusive sufficiently.”

Initially, there were just 8 boards shared by sixteen people. Now, a “good night” at the regular Knight Club will draw about 280 people.

Upon arrival, the venue feels closer to a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are flowing and tunes is playing, but the game boards on every table are not just ornamental or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a line of onlookers waiting for their chance to play.

One regular, 24, has frequented the club often for the past four months. “I possessed little understanding of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I ever played, I played a game against a expert player. That was a swift victory, but it left me intrigued to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“The event is about half networking and half participants actually wishing to play chess … It's a pleasant way to relax, which doesn't involve going to a typical nightspot to meet other people my age.”

An Activity Reborn: Chess in the Modern Era

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the societal spirit of the times. The popularity of online chess expanded rapidly throughout the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing online pastimes in the world. Across media, the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, as well as Sally Rooney’s recent novel Intermezzo, have crafted a distinct imagery associated with the game, which has drawn in a new generation of players.

But a great deal of this recent appeal of the chess club isn't always about the intricacies of the game; rather, it is the ease of connecting with others that it facilitates, by taking a chair and engaging with someone who may be a total stranger.

“It's a brilliant clever disguise,” remarked one organizer, co-founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookstore, reading room, coffee house and lounge, which has organized a well-attended chess club every Wednesday since it opened four years ago. Freud’s aim is to “take chess from its elite status and transform it into like pool in a casual pub”.

“It is a very easy vehicle to get to know people. It somewhat takes the weight of the need of conversation from socializing with people. One can handle the uncomfortable part of introducing yourself and chatting to a new acquaintance over a board rather than with no context involved.”

Growing the Network: Chess Nights Beyond the Capital

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess night held at York’s Cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that people are seeking places where one can socialize, interact and enjoy a good time beyond visiting a pub or nightclub,” stated its founder and coordinator, Karan Singh, 21.

Together with his associate a partner, also young, he bought game sets, printed promotional materials and began the chess club in January, while in his final year of university. Within months, Singh reported Chesscafé has grown to draw over one hundred youthful participants to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a particular connotation associated with it, about it being reserved. We really try to go the contrary direction; it is a convivial party with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Learning and Engaging: A New Cohort of Chess Enthusiasts

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. One participant, in her late twenties, is picking up how to play chess with other visitors of the weekly event at the venue. Her interest in the game was sparked after an pleasurable night moving to music and playing chess at a previous Knight Club's events.

“It's a unique idea, but it functions well,” she said. “It promotes face-to-face exchanges rather than screen-based pastimes. It's a free neutral ground to meet strangers. It is welcoming, one doesn't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia humorously likened the popularity of chess among the youth to the superficial image of the “performative male”, an effort to simulate braininess while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. If the chess trend has cultivated a authentic interest in the game is not a notion she is quite sure about. “It is a wholesome trend, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “Once you're playing with opponents who are really dedicated about it, it quickly turns less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It may seem like a bit of fun and games for individuals looking to employ a game set as a networking tool, but serious participants certainly have their role, even if off the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who helps running Knight Club,explains that increasingly skilled players have formed a league table. “Participants who are part of the competition will play one another, we will progress to early rounds, advanced stages, and then we'll finally have a champion.”

A dedicated player, 23, is a competitive player and chess teacher. He joined in the league for about a twelve months and participates at the club almost every week. “This is a nice alternative to playing intense chess; it provides a feeling of belonging,” he said.

“It is fascinating to see how it evolves into more of a social pastime, because previously the sole individuals who played chess were those who rarely socialize; they just stayed home. It is usually just a pair competing on a game board …

“What appeals to me about here is that one isn't really facing the digital opponent, you are engaging with real people.”