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One of the most energetic spots on a weekday night in east London's Brick Lane isn't a dining spot or a streetwear label temporary shop, it is a chess club – or rather a chess and nightlife combination, precisely speaking.

Knight Club embodies the surprising blend between chess and the city's dynamic evening entertainment scene. It was founded by Yusuf Ntahilaja, 27, who launched his initial chess club in August 2023 at a more intimate bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the present location at a popular cafe on the iconic lane.

“My goal was to create chess clubs for people who share my background and people my generation,” he said. “Typically, chess is only placed in spaces that are full of senior individuals, which isn't diverse sufficiently.”

On the first night, there were only eight boards shared by 16 people. Today, a “successful evening” at the regular club event will draw approximately 280 attendees.

Upon arrival, the venue seems more like a music night than a chess club. Mixed drinks are being served and tunes is playing, but the game boards on each table aren't just decorative or there as a gimmick: they are all occupied and encircled by a queue of onlookers waiting for their turn.

One regular, 24, has been attending Knight Club regularly for the past four months. “I possessed no knowledge of chess before my first visit, and the initial occasion I ever played, I played a game with a grandmaster. That was a swift win, but it left me fascinated to learn and keep playing chess,” she noted.

“The event is about half networking and half people genuinely wanting to play chess … It's a nice way to decompress, which avoids visiting a typical nightspot to meet other people my age.”

A Game Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Age

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the cultural spirit of the times. The popularity of digital chess expanded rapidly during the global health crisis, making it one of the fastest-growing internet pastimes in the world. In popular culture, the streaming series a hit show, as well as the author's latest novel Intermezzo, have created a distinct iconography associated with the sport, which has drawn in a fresh generation of enthusiasts.

But a great deal of this recent appeal of the chess club is not necessarily about the intricacies of the game; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it enables, by taking a chair and playing with a person who may be a total stranger.

“It's a brilliant clever disguise,” said Jonah Freud, co-founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookshop, library, coffee house and bar, which has organized a popular chess club every Wednesday since it opened several years back. Freud’s aim is to “take chess off a pedestal and transform it into similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It is a very simple tool to meet people. It kind of takes the pressure of the need of conversation away from interacting with people. You can handle the awkward part of introducing yourself and chatting to someone across a board rather than with no shared activity around it.”

Growing the Network: Chess Nights Outside the Capital

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess event taking place at York’s Cafe, near the downtown area. “We found that individuals are looking for spaces where one can socialize, socialise and enjoy a fun evening beyond visiting a pub or nightclub,” said its founder and coordinator, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Together with his associate a partner, 21, he bought game sets, created promotional materials and began the chess club in January, while in his final year of college. Within months, he said Chesscafé has expanded to attract over 100 young participants to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a specific connotation associated with it, about it being reserved. We really try to go the contrary way; it is a convivial get-together with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Discovering and Playing: An Alternative Cohort of Players

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. She became curious in the game was piqued after an pleasurable evening dancing and playing chess at a previous Knight Club's events.

“It's a strange concept, but it works,” she said. “It promotes face-to-face exchanges instead of digital activities. It's a no-cost third space to encounter new people. It is welcoming, you don't have to necessarily be good at chess.”

She jokingly likened the trendiness of chess with young people to the superficial image of the “performative male”, an attempt to feign intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. Whether the chess trend has fostered a genuine passion in the game isn't something she's entirely convinced by. “It's a wholesome trend, but it’s largely a trend,” she said. “Once you're playing against opponents who are really serious about it, it quickly turns less fun.”

Competitive Play and Togetherness

It may all be a bit of lighthearted activity for those looking to employ a game set as a networking tool, but serious participants do have their role, albeit away from the dancefloor.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who assists in running the club,explains that increasingly skilled players have established a competitive ranking. “Participants who are in the league will play each other, we'll go to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we will eventually have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a serious player and chess teacher. He joined in the league for about a year and plays at the club almost weekly. “This offers a welcome option to engaging in intense chess; it provides a feeling of community,” he said.

“It's fascinating to see how it evolves into increasingly a social pastime, because previously the sole individuals who engaged in chess were those who rarely socialize; they simply stayed home. It's typically just two people competing on a game board …

“The thing I like about this place is that one isn't really playing against the computer, you're engaging with live opponents.”