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One of the liveliest spots on a weekday evening in east London's famous street isn't a dining spot or a urban fashion brand temporary shop, it is a chess club – or a chess and nightlife combination, to be exact.

Knight Club embodies the surprising fusion between the classic game and London's dynamic evening entertainment culture. It was founded by Yusuf Ntahilaja, in his late twenties, who launched his initial chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to create chess clubs for people who look like me and those my age,” he explained. “Usually, chess is only placed in spaces that are full of senior individuals, which isn't inclusive sufficiently.”

Initially, there were just 8 boards shared by 16 people. Now, a “successful evening” at the regular Knight Club will draw about 280 attendees.

Upon arrival, the venue seems closer to a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are being served and music is in the air, but the chessboards on every table aren't just ornamental or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and surrounded by a line of spectators eagerly anticipating for their turn.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has frequented Knight Club regularly for the last four months. “I possessed little understanding of chess prior to my first visit, and the first time I ever played, I played a game against a grandmaster. That was a swift victory, but it left me fascinated to study and keep playing chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half networking and half participants actually wishing to engage in chess … It's a pleasant way to relax, which avoids going to a typical nightspot to see others my generation.”

A Game Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Modern Age

Lately, chess has been firmly established in the societal spirit of the times. Its appeal of online chess expanded rapidly throughout the global health crisis, making it one of the most rapidly expanding online pastimes globally. Across media, the Netflix series a hit show, as well as Sally Rooney’s latest novel Intermezzo, have crafted a certain imagery associated with the sport, which has drawn in a fresh wave of players.

But a great deal of this recent attraction of the chess night is not necessarily about the intricacies of the game; rather, it is the ease of social interaction that it enables, by taking a seat and engaging with someone who could be a total stranger.

“It is a great Trojan horse,” said Jonah Freud, co-founder of a local venue in the city, a bookshop, library, cafe and lounge, which has hosted a well-attended chess club every Wednesday since it began several years back. His objective is to “remove chess off a pedestal and make it feel like billiards in a casual pub”.

“It is a very easy vehicle to get to know people. It kind of removes the pressure of the necessity of conversation from interacting with people. You can handle the uncomfortable bit of making an introduction and talking to someone over a board instead of with no kind of context involved.”

Growing the Network: Chess Nights Outside London

Elsewhere in the UK, a similar initiative is a regular chess event taking place at a city cafe, near the downtown area. “We found that people are looking for places where you can go out, socialise and enjoy a good time outside of visiting a bar or nightclub,” said its founder and organiser, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Alongside his friend Abdirahim Haji, 21, he bought chessboards, printed promotional materials and began the chess club in January, while in his final year of university. Within months, Singh reported Chesscafé has expanded to draw more than one hundred youthful players to its events.

“A chess club has a specific reputation to it, about it seeming quiet. Our approach is to go the opposite direction; it's a convivial party with chess involved,” he said.

Discovering and Playing: A New Cohort of Chess Enthusiasts

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an introduction to the game. Zoë Kezia, in her late twenties, is learning how to play chess with other visitors of the weekly event at the venue. She became curious in the game was sparked after an pleasurable night dancing and engaging in chess at a previous the club's occasions.

“It's a unique concept, but it functions well,” she commented. “It encourages face-to-face exchanges instead of screen-based pastimes. It's a free neutral ground to encounter new people. It is welcoming, one doesn't have to necessarily be good at chess.”

She humorously compared the trendiness of chess among the youth to the facade of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an attempt to feign braininess while projecting the appearance of “hipness”. Whether the chess trend has cultivated a authentic passion in the game is not something she is entirely sure about. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s very much a fad,” she observed. “Once you compete with people who are truly dedicated about it, it quickly becomes less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It might all be a some lighthearted activity for individuals looking to employ a game set as a networking tool, but serious players certainly have their role, even if off the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who assists in running the club,says that more skilled players have established a competitive ranking. “People who are in the league will face each other, we'll progress to early rounds, semi-finals, and then we'll finally have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, in his twenties, is a competitive competitor and chess instructor. He joined the competition for about a twelve months and plays at the club almost weekly. “This is a welcome alternative to playing intense chess; it gives a feeling of belonging,” he expressed.

“It's interesting to observe how it evolves into more of a social pastime, because previously the sole individuals who engaged in chess were those who didn't go outside; they just stayed home. It is usually just a pair playing on a game board …

“What I like about this place is that you're not really playing against the digital opponent, you're engaging with real people.”