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One of the most vibrant locations on a Tuesday night in the East End's Brick Lane isn't a dining spot or a streetwear brand pop-up, it is a chess club – or a chess and nightlife fusion, to be exact.

This unique venue represents the unlikely blend between the classic game and London's dynamic evening entertainment culture. It was started by a young entrepreneur, 27, who launched his initial chess club in August 2023 at a more intimate bar in Aldgate, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on the iconic lane.

“My goal was to create chess clubs for individuals who share my background and people my age,” he explained. “Typically, chess is only placed in spaces that are dominated by older people, which is not diverse sufficiently.”

Initially, there were only eight boards shared by sixteen people. Now, a “successful evening” at the weekly club event will draw approximately two hundred eighty attendees.

Upon arrival, the venue feels closer to a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are being served and music is playing, but the game boards on every table are not just ornamental or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and surrounded by a queue of spectators eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

One regular, 24, has frequented Knight Club regularly for the past four months. “I had no knowledge of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I ever played, I competed in a game with a expert player. It was a quick victory, but it made me fascinated to study and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about 50% social and 50% participants genuinely wishing to play chess … It's a pleasant way to decompress, which doesn't involve visiting a club to see other people my generation.”

An Activity Reborn: Chess in the Contemporary Era

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the societal spirit of the times. The popularity of digital chess proliferated during the pandemic, establishing it as one of the most rapidly expanding online games in the world. Across media, the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, along with the author's latest novel a literary work, have created a distinct imagery associated with the game, which has attracted a new generation of players.

However much of this recent appeal of the chess club isn't always about the intricacies of the play; instead, it is the ease of connecting with others that it enables, by taking a chair and engaging with a person who may be a total stranger.

“It's a great Trojan horse,” remarked Jonah Freud, co-founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, reading room, coffee house and bar, which has hosted a well-attended chess club weekly since it opened four years ago. His aim is to “take chess off a pedestal and make it feel similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It is a very easy tool to get to know people. It kind of removes the pressure of the need of conversation from socializing with people. One can do the uncomfortable part of making an introduction and chatting to a new acquaintance over a board rather than with no shared activity around it.”

Growing the Community: Chess Nights Beyond London

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a recurring chess night taking place at York’s Cafe, just outside the downtown area. “Our observation was that individuals are looking for places where one can go out, socialise and enjoy a fun evening beyond going to a bar or club,” said its founder and organiser, a young leader, 21.

Together with his friend Abdirahim Haji, 21, Singh bought chessboards, printed promotional materials and began the chess club in the start of the year, while in his last year of university. In less than a year, he reported their event has grown to draw over 100 youthful participants to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a particular connotation associated with it, about it seeming quiet. We really try to move in the opposite way; it's a convivial party with chess involved,” he said.

Discovering and Engaging: A New Generation of Players

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. One participant, in her late twenties, is picking up how to play chess with fellow visitors of chess night at Reference Point. Her interest in the pastime was sparked after an pleasurable evening dancing and engaging in chess at one of Knight Club's occasions.

“It's a unique concept, but it works,” she said. “It promotes in-person exchanges rather than screen-based activities. It's a free neutral ground to meet new people. It is inviting, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia jokingly likened the trendiness of chess with young people to the facade of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an attempt to feign braininess while projecting the veneer of “hipness”. Whether the chess craze has cultivated a genuine passion in the game isn't something she's quite convinced by. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s very much a trend,” she observed. “Once you compete against opponents who are truly dedicated about it, it quickly becomes less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Community

It may seem like a some lighthearted activity for individuals looking to employ a game set as a social vehicle, but serious players do have their place, albeit off the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who helps organise Knight Club,explains that increasingly competitive attenders have established a league table. “People who are in the league will play each other, we will go to early rounds, advanced stages, and then we'll eventually have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a serious player and chess teacher. He has been in the league for about a twelve months and plays at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a nice option to playing serious chess; it gives a sense of belonging,” he expressed.

“It is fascinating to see how it becomes increasingly a communal pastime, because previously the only individuals who played chess were those who didn't go outside; they simply remained home. It's usually just two people competing on a game board …

“The thing appeals to me about here is that one isn't actually facing the computer, you are facing real people.”