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Among the most vibrant spots on a weekday night in east London's Brick Lane isn't a restaurant or a urban fashion label temporary shop, it's a chess gathering – or rather a chess and nightlife fusion, precisely speaking.

Knight Club represents the unlikely blend between the classic game and London's dynamic nightlife scene. It was started by Yusuf Ntahilaja, 27, 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 a popular cafe on the iconic lane.

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

Initially, there were only 8 boards shared by sixteen people. Now, a “good night” at the regular Knight Club will attract about 280 people.

At first glance, the venue feels closer to a music night than a chess club. Mixed drinks are being served and tunes is in the air, but the game boards on each table aren't just ornamental or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a line of spectators waiting for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has been attending Knight Club often for the last four months. “I possessed no knowledge of chess prior to I came here, and the initial occasion I ever played, I competed in a game against a grandmaster. That was a quick win, but it left me intrigued to study and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half social and half participants genuinely wishing to play chess … It is a nice way to relax, which doesn't involve going to a club to see others my age.”

An Activity Reborn: Chess in the Contemporary Age

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 pastimes globally. Across media, the Netflix series a hit show, along with Sally Rooney’s recent novel Intermezzo, have crafted a distinct imagery surrounding the game, which has drawn in a new generation of enthusiasts.

But much of this newfound appeal of the chess night isn't always about the technicalities of the game; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it facilitates, by taking a seat and engaging with someone who may be a total stranger.

“It is a brilliant clever disguise,” said one organizer, founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookstore, library, coffee house and bar, which has organized a well-attended chess club weekly since it began four years ago. His aim is to “remove chess from its elite status and make it feel similar to billiards in a dive bar”.

“It is a very simple vehicle 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 chatting to someone across a game rather than with no kind of context around it.”

Expanding the Network: Chess Nights Outside London

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a recurring chess night taking place at a city cafe, just outside the city centre. “We found that people are seeking spaces where one can socialize, interact and have a good time outside of visiting a bar or club,” stated its founder and organiser, Karan Singh, 21.

Together with his associate Abdirahim Haji, 21, he purchased game sets, printed flyers and started the chess club in the start of the year, while in his final year of college. Within months, he reported Chesscafé has expanded to draw over one hundred youthful players to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a specific connotation to it, about it seeming reserved. Our approach is to go the opposite direction; it's a social get-together with chess involved,” he said.

Learning and Engaging: An Alternative Cohort of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. One participant, 27, is learning how to participate in chess with fellow attenders of the weekly event at the venue. She became curious in the game was sparked after an pleasurable evening moving to music and engaging in chess at one of the club's events.

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

Kezia jokingly likened the trendiness of chess among the youth to the facade of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an attempt to feign braininess while signaling the veneer of “coolness”. Whether the chess trend has fostered a authentic interest in the sport is not a notion she's entirely convinced by. “It's a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s very much a trend,” she observed. “Once you're playing with opponents who are really serious about it, it quickly becomes less fun.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It might all be a bit of lighthearted activity for individuals aiming to employ a chessboard as a social vehicle, but competitive players certainly have their role, albeit away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who helps organise Knight Club,says that more competitive players have established a league table. “People who are part of the competition will face one another, we will go to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we will finally have a league winner.”

A dedicated player, 23, is a serious competitor and chess instructor. He has been in the league for about a twelve months and plays at the club almost weekly. “This is a welcome alternative to engaging in intense chess; it provides a feeling of belonging,” he expressed.

“It's interesting to see how it evolves into increasingly a communal pastime, because previously the sole individuals who engaged in chess were those who didn't socialize; they just remained home. It is usually only a pair playing on a game board …

“The thing I like about this place is that you're not really playing against the digital opponent, you're engaging with live opponents.”