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One of the most vibrant venues on a weekday night in the East End's Brick Lane isn't a restaurant or a streetwear brand temporary shop, it's a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub hybrid, precisely speaking.

This unique venue embodies the surprising blend between chess and London's fervent evening entertainment scene. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, 27, 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 current location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to create chess clubs for individuals who share my background and people my age,” he said. “Usually, chess is only put in environments that are dominated by older people, which isn't inclusive sufficiently.”

On the first night, there were just eight boards between 16 people. Now, a “good night” at the regular Knight Club will attract approximately two hundred eighty people.

At first glance, Knight Club seems more like a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are flowing and tunes is in the air, 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 queue of spectators eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has frequented Knight Club regularly for the last four months. “I possessed no knowledge of chess prior to I came here, and the initial occasion I ever played, I competed in a game with a expert player. That was a swift win, but it made me fascinated to study and keep playing chess,” she said.

“The event is about half networking and 50% participants genuinely wanting to engage in chess … It's a pleasant way to relax, which avoids going to a club to meet other people my age.”

A Game Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Age

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the cultural spirit of the times. Its appeal of digital chess expanded rapidly during the global health crisis, making it 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 created a distinct iconography surrounding the game, which has attracted a new generation of players.

However much of this newfound appeal of the chess club isn't necessarily about the intricacies of the game; instead, it is the ease of connecting with others that it facilitates, by taking a seat and playing with a person who could be a total unknown individual.

“It is a brilliant clever disguise,” said one organizer, co-founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, library, cafe and lounge, which has hosted a popular chess club every Wednesday since it opened several years back. His objective is to “remove chess from its elite status and transform it into like pool in a casual pub”.

“It's a very simple vehicle to get to know people. It kind of removes the pressure of the necessity of conversation from socializing with people. You can handle the awkward part of introducing yourself and talking to a new acquaintance over a game rather than with no kind of context involved.”

Growing the Community: Social Gatherings Beyond London

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a recurring chess event held at a city cafe, near the downtown area. “Our observation was that individuals are looking for places where you can go out, interact and have a good time beyond visiting a bar or club,” said its founder and coordinator, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Alongside his associate a partner, 21, Singh purchased chessboards, printed flyers and started the chess club in January, during his final year of college. In less than a year, Singh reported their event has expanded to attract over 100 youthful participants to its events.

“Such a venue has a particular connotation to it, about it seeming reserved. Our approach is to move in the opposite way; it's a social party with chess involved,” he said.

Learning and Engaging: An Alternative Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. Zoë Kezia, in her late twenties, is picking up how to play chess with other attenders of chess night at Reference Point. Her interest in the pastime was sparked after an pleasurable night dancing and playing chess at one of the club's occasions.

“It is a unique concept, but it works,” she commented. “It promotes in-person interactions instead of screen-based activities. It is a no-cost third space to encounter strangers. It is inviting, one doesn't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She jokingly likened the popularity of chess with young people to the superficial image of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an effort to simulate braininess while projecting the veneer of “coolness”. Whether the chess trend has fostered a genuine passion in the sport is not a notion she's entirely convinced by. “It is a positive trend, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “When you're playing against people who are really dedicated about it, it quickly becomes less enjoyable.”

Competitive Gaming and Togetherness

It might seem like a bit of fun and games for those looking to employ a game set as a social vehicle, but competitive participants certainly have their place, even if off the dancefloor.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who assists in organise Knight Club,explains that more competitive attenders have established a league table. “People who are part of the competition will face one another, we'll progress to quarter-finals, advanced stages, and then we will finally have a league winner.”

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

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

“The thing appeals to me about here is that you're not actually playing against the computer, you are facing real people.”