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Among the most energetic spots on a weekday evening in the East End's famous street couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear label pop-up, it is a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

Knight Club represents the unlikely blend between chess and the city's fervent evening entertainment culture. It was started by a young entrepreneur, 27, who launched his initial chess club in the summer of 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 individuals who share my background and those my generation,” he said. “Usually, chess is only put in spaces that are full of senior individuals, which isn't inclusive sufficiently.”

Initially, there were just eight boards shared by 16 people. Now, a “successful evening” at the regular club event will draw about two hundred eighty attendees.

At first glance, Knight Club seems closer to a DJ event than a chess club. Mixed drinks are flowing and tunes is playing, but the chessboards on each table are not just ornamental or there as a gimmick: they are all in use and surrounded by a queue of onlookers eagerly anticipating for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, in her mid-twenties, has frequented the club often for the last several months. “I had no knowledge of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I ever played, I played a game against a expert player. It was a swift win, but it made me fascinated to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“The event is about 50% social and 50% people genuinely wishing to engage in chess … It's a nice way to unwind, which doesn't involve going to a typical nightspot to meet other people my generation.”

A Game Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Modern Era

Lately, chess has been firmly established in the cultural spirit of the times. The popularity of online chess proliferated during the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing online games globally. In popular culture, the Netflix series a hit show, along with the author's latest novel Intermezzo, have crafted a distinct imagery associated with the game, which has drawn in a new generation of enthusiasts.

But much of this recent attraction of the chess club is not necessarily about the intricacies of the play; rather, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it facilitates, by pulling up a chair and engaging with a person who may be a complete unknown individual.

“It is a great Trojan horse,” remarked Jonah Freud, co-founder of a local venue in the city, a bookshop, library, cafe and lounge, which has organized a well-attended chess club weekly since it opened several years back. Freud’s aim is to “take chess from its elite status and transform it into similar to billiards in a casual pub”.

“It's a really easy vehicle to get to know people. It somewhat takes the weight of the necessity of conversation away from interacting with people. One can do the awkward bit of making an introduction and talking to a new acquaintance across a board rather than with no kind of context around it.”

Expanding the Network: Chess Nights Outside London

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a regular chess event held at York’s Cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that individuals are seeking spaces where one can go out, interact and enjoy a good time outside of going to a pub or nightclub,” said its creator and organiser, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Alongside his friend a partner, also young, Singh purchased game sets, created promotional materials and started the chess club in the start of the year, while in his last year of university. In less than a year, he reported Chesscafé has expanded to draw over 100 youthful participants to its events.

“Such a venue has a specific reputation to it, about it seeming quiet. We really try to go the opposite direction; it's a social party with chess as part of it,” he said.

Discovering and Playing: An Alternative Generation of Players

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. Zoë Kezia, 27, is picking up how to participate in chess with other visitors of chess night at Reference Point. She became curious in the game was piqued after an pleasurable night 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 rather than digital activities. It's a free third space to encounter new people. It is inviting, you don't have to necessarily be good at chess.”

Kezia humorously compared the popularity of chess among young people to the superficial image of the “performative male”, an attempt to feign intellectualism while projecting the veneer of “hipness”. If the chess trend has cultivated a genuine interest in the game is not a notion she's entirely convinced by. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “Once you compete against people who are truly dedicated about it, it quickly becomes less fun.”

Competitive Gaming and Togetherness

It may seem like a some lighthearted activity for those aiming to use a chessboard as a social vehicle, but serious participants do have their role, even if away from the dancefloor.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, 22, who assists in organise Knight Club,says that increasingly competitive attenders have established a competitive ranking. “Participants who are in the league will face each other, we'll progress to early rounds, 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 the competition for about a twelve months and participates at the club almost weekly. “This offers a nice alternative to playing serious chess; it gives a sense of belonging,” he said.

“It's interesting to observe how it becomes increasingly a communal activity, because previously the sole individuals who played chess were those who didn't socialize; they simply remained home. It is typically just two people competing on a chessboard …

“What appeals to me about this place is that one isn't really playing against the digital opponent, you're facing live opponents.”