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Among the most vibrant spots on a weekday evening in east London's famous street couldn't be a restaurant or a streetwear label temporary shop, it's a chess gathering – or a chess club-nightclub fusion, to be exact.

Knight Club represents the unlikely blend between chess and the city's dynamic evening entertainment culture. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, 27, who began his first chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the present location at a popular cafe on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to make chess clubs for people who look like me and those my generation,” he explained. “Usually, chess is only placed in environments that are dominated by senior individuals, which is not inclusive sufficiently.”

Initially, there were only eight boards shared by sixteen people. Today, a “successful evening” at the regular Knight Club will attract approximately 280 attendees.

Upon arrival, Knight Club seems closer to a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are flowing and tunes is in the air, but the game boards on each table aren't just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a queue of spectators eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has been attending 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 with a expert player. It was a quick win, but it left me intrigued to study and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“The event is about half social and 50% participants genuinely wishing to play chess … It is a pleasant way to decompress, which avoids visiting a club to see others my generation.”

A Game Reborn: Chess in the Contemporary Era

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the societal zeitgeist. Its appeal of digital chess expanded rapidly throughout the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing online pastimes globally. Across media, the streaming series The Queen’s Gambit, as well as the author's latest novel a literary work, have created a certain iconography surrounding the sport, which has drawn in a fresh generation of enthusiasts.

But much of this newfound attraction of the chess night is not always about the intricacies of the play; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it facilitates, by taking a seat and playing with someone who may be a total unknown individual.

“It is a brilliant Trojan horse,” remarked Jonah Freud, founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookstore, reading room, coffee house and lounge, which has organized a popular chess club weekly since it began four years ago. Freud’s aim is to “take chess from its elite status and make it feel similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It is a very easy tool to get to know people. It somewhat takes the weight of the necessity of conversation away from socializing with people. One can handle the uncomfortable bit of introducing yourself and talking to someone over a game instead of with no kind of shared activity involved.”

Expanding the Community: Social Gatherings Beyond London

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a regular chess night taking place at a city cafe, just outside the city centre. “We found that individuals are seeking places where one can socialize, interact and enjoy a good time outside of visiting a bar or club,” said its founder and organiser, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Together with his friend a partner, 21, Singh bought chessboards, created promotional materials and started the chess club in January, during his final year of college. Within months, Singh said their event has grown to draw more than one hundred young participants to its gatherings.

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

Discovering and Engaging: A New Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. One participant, 27, is learning how to play chess with fellow visitors of the weekly event at the venue. Her interest in the game was sparked after an pleasurable night dancing and playing chess at one of Knight Club's occasions.

“It's a strange idea, but it functions well,” she commented. “It encourages in-person interactions rather than screen-based pastimes. It's a no-cost neutral ground to meet strangers. It is welcoming, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

She jokingly likened the trendiness of chess with young people to the superficial image of the “performative male”, an effort to simulate intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. Whether the chess trend has fostered a authentic passion in the game is not something she's quite convinced by. “It's a positive phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “When you compete with people who are truly serious about it, it rapidly turns less enjoyable.”

Competitive Gaming and Togetherness

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

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who assists in running Knight Club,says that increasingly skilled players have formed a league table. “People who are part of the competition will face each other, we will go to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we'll eventually 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 participates at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a welcome option to engaging in intense chess; it gives a sense of community,” he expressed.

“It's interesting to observe how it becomes increasingly a communal pastime, because previously the sole individuals who played chess were people who rarely socialize; they simply stayed home. It is typically only two people playing on a chessboard …

“What I like about here is that one isn't really playing against the computer, you're facing live opponents.”