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Among the most energetic spots on a Tuesday evening in east London's famous street couldn't be a restaurant or a urban fashion label pop-up, it's a chess gathering – or rather a chess club-nightclub combination, precisely speaking.

Knight Club represents the surprising crossover between chess and the city's fervent evening entertainment scene. It was founded by Yusuf Ntahilaja, in his late twenties, who launched his first chess club in the summer of 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the present location at Café 1001 on the iconic lane.

“My goal was to create chess clubs for individuals who look like me and those my generation,” he explained. “Usually, chess is only put in spaces that are full of older people, which isn't inclusive sufficiently.”

Initially, there were only 8 boards shared by sixteen people. Now, a “successful evening” at the regular Knight Club will draw approximately two hundred eighty attendees.

At first glance, Knight Club seems more like a DJ event than a chess club. Cocktails are being served and music is playing, but the chessboards on every table are not 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, in her mid-twenties, has been attending Knight Club regularly for the past four months. “I possessed no knowledge of chess before I came here, and the first time I ever played, I competed in a game against a expert player. That was a quick victory, but it left me fascinated to study and keep playing chess,” she noted.

“This gathering is about half networking and half people genuinely wishing to play chess … It's a pleasant way to unwind, which avoids going to a typical nightspot to meet other people my age.”

A Game Revitalized: Chess in the Modern Era

Lately, chess has been firmly established in the societal zeitgeist. Its appeal of online chess expanded rapidly throughout the pandemic, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing internet games globally. In popular culture, the streaming series a hit show, as well as Sally Rooney’s recent novel Intermezzo, have created a distinct imagery surrounding the sport, which has attracted a fresh generation of enthusiasts.

But a great deal of this recent attraction of the chess club isn't necessarily about the technicalities of the game; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it facilitates, by pulling up a chair and engaging with someone who could be a total stranger.

“It's a brilliant clever disguise,” said Jonah Freud, co-founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookshop, reading room, cafe and lounge, which has organized a well-attended chess club weekly since it began four years ago. His objective is to “take chess off a pedestal and make it feel similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It is a really simple tool to meet people. It kind of removes the weight of the necessity of small talk from interacting with people. You can handle the awkward part of making an introduction and talking to someone over a board instead of with no kind of context involved.”

Growing the Network: Chess Nights Beyond London

In Birmingham, Chesscafé is a regular chess event held at York’s Cafe, near the downtown area. “Our observation was that people are seeking spaces where one can socialize, interact and enjoy a fun evening beyond going to a pub or nightclub,” said its creator and coordinator, a young leader, 21.

Alongside his friend Abdirahim Haji, also young, he purchased chessboards, created flyers and began the chess club in January, during his final year of university. In less than a year, Singh said their event has grown to attract more than 100 young players to its events.

“Such a venue has a particular reputation associated with it, about it seeming reserved. We really try to move in the opposite way; it is a social get-together with chess involved,” he said.

Learning and Playing: An Alternative Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. One participant, 27, is picking up how to play chess with other visitors of the weekly event at the venue. She became curious in the pastime was sparked after an pleasurable night dancing and playing chess at a previous the club's events.

“It is a strange idea, but it functions well,” she commented. “It promotes in-person exchanges rather than digital activities. It is a free neutral ground to meet strangers. It is welcoming, one doesn't have to necessarily be good at chess.”

Kezia jokingly likened the trendiness of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an effort to feign braininess while signaling the veneer of “coolness”. Whether the chess craze has fostered a genuine passion in the sport isn't something she's entirely sure about. “It's a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “When you're playing against people who are really dedicated about it, it rapidly becomes less enjoyable.”

Competitive Play and Community

It might all be a some fun and games for individuals looking to use a chessboard as a networking tool, but competitive participants do have their role, albeit away from the main party area.

Another organizer, 22, who helps running the club,says that more competitive players have established a competitive ranking. “Participants who are in the league will play one another, we'll go to early rounds, semi-finals, and then we will finally have a champion.”

A dedicated player, in his twenties, is a competitive competitor and chess teacher. He joined the competition for about a twelve months and participates at the club nearly every week. “This offers a welcome option to playing intense chess; it provides a sense of community,” he said.

“It is fascinating to observe how it becomes more of a communal pastime, because previously the only people who played chess were those who rarely go outside; they just remained home. It is typically just two people competing on a chessboard …

“What I like about here is that one isn't actually facing the digital opponent, you are engaging with real people.”