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One of the liveliest venues on a Tuesday night in the East End's Brick Lane isn't a restaurant or a streetwear brand pop-up, it's a chess club – or a chess club-nightclub combination, precisely speaking.

This unique venue embodies the unlikely crossover between the classic game and the city's fervent evening entertainment culture. It was founded by Yusuf Ntahilaja, 27, who launched his initial chess club in the summer of 2023 at a smaller bar in a nearby area, a short distance from the present location at a popular cafe on Brick Lane.

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

On the first night, there were only 8 boards shared by 16 people. Today, a “successful evening” at the regular Knight Club will draw approximately two hundred eighty attendees.

Upon arrival, Knight Club seems more like a music night than a chess club. Mixed drinks are flowing and tunes is in the air, but the chessboards on every table are not just ornamental or there as a gimmick: they are all in use and encircled by a line of spectators waiting for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has frequented the club often for the last several months. “I had no knowledge of chess before my first visit, and the first time I tried it, I played a game against a expert player. It was a swift victory, but it made me intrigued to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she noted.

“The event is about 50% networking and half people genuinely wanting to engage in chess … It is a pleasant way to relax, which avoids going to a club to meet others my generation.”

A Game Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Age

Lately, chess has been cemented in the societal spirit of the times. Its appeal of online chess expanded rapidly throughout the global health crisis, making it one of the fastest-growing online pastimes globally. Across media, the streaming series The Queen’s Gambit, along with the author's latest novel a literary work, have created a certain imagery associated with the sport, which has drawn in a new generation of enthusiasts.

But a great deal of this newfound appeal of the chess night isn't necessarily about the intricacies of the game; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it facilitates, by pulling up a seat and playing with a person who could be a complete unknown individual.

“It is a great clever disguise,” said Jonah Freud, founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, reading room, coffee house and lounge, which has hosted a well-attended chess club weekly since it began several years back. Freud’s aim is to “remove chess from its elite status and make it feel like billiards in a dive bar”.

“It's a really simple tool to meet people. It somewhat removes the weight of the necessity of conversation from socializing with people. You can handle the awkward part of making an introduction and talking to someone over a board rather than with no context involved.”

Growing the Network: Social Gatherings Beyond the Capital

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess event taking place at a city cafe, near the downtown area. “Our observation was that individuals are seeking places where you can socialize, socialise and enjoy a fun evening beyond going to a bar or club,” said its creator and coordinator, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Together with his associate Abdirahim Haji, 21, he bought game sets, created promotional materials and started the chess club in the start of the year, during his last year of college. Within months, Singh said Chesscafé has expanded to attract more than one hundred young participants to its events.

“Such a venue has a particular connotation associated with it, about it being reserved. Our approach is to move in the contrary direction; it's a convivial get-together with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Discovering and Playing: A New Cohort of Players

For many, chess clubs are an introduction to the game. One participant, in her late twenties, is picking up how to participate in chess with other attenders of the weekly event at Reference Point. She became curious in the pastime was piqued after an pleasurable evening dancing and playing chess at one of Knight Club's events.

“It is a unique concept, but it works,” she said. “It encourages in-person exchanges rather than screen-based pastimes. It is a free third space to meet strangers. It is inviting, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia jokingly likened the popularity of chess among the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to simulate intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. If the chess craze has cultivated a genuine passion in the game isn't something she's entirely sure about. “It is a wholesome trend, but it’s largely a trend,” she said. “Once you're playing with opponents who are really serious about it, it rapidly becomes less enjoyable.”

Competitive Gaming and Togetherness

It may all be a bit of lighthearted activity for individuals looking to employ a game set as a networking tool, but serious players certainly have their role, albeit away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, 22, who helps running the club,explains that more skilled players have established a league table. “People who are part of the competition will face each other, we'll go to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we will finally have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, in his twenties, is a competitive player and chess instructor. He joined the competition for about a twelve months and participates at the club nearly weekly. “This is a welcome alternative to playing intense chess; it provides a feeling of community,” he said.

“It's interesting to see how it evolves into increasingly a communal pastime, because in the past the only people who engaged in chess were people who didn't socialize; they just remained home. It is typically just two people playing on a chessboard …

“What appeals to me about this place is that you're not actually playing against the digital opponent, you are facing real people.”