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Among the most energetic venues on a weekday night in east London's famous street couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear brand temporary shop, it is a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

This unique venue embodies the unlikely blend between the classic game and the city's fervent nightlife scene. It was started by Yusuf Ntahilaja, 27, who began his initial chess club in August 2023 at a more intimate bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the current 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 dominated by older people, which is not diverse sufficiently.”

Initially, there were just eight boards shared by 16 people. Today, a “good night” at the regular club event will attract about two hundred eighty people.

At first glance, Knight Club seems closer to a DJ event than a chess club. Cocktails are flowing and music is in the air, but the chessboards on every table aren't just decorative or there as a gimmick: they are all occupied and encircled by a line of onlookers waiting for their chance to play.

Jimmy Ifenayi, in her mid-twenties, has frequented Knight Club regularly for the last several months. “I possessed little understanding of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I ever played, I played a game against a expert player. That was a quick victory, but it left me fascinated to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half networking and half people genuinely wishing to play chess … It's a nice way to relax, which doesn't involve visiting a club to meet other people my age.”

A Game Reborn: Chess in the Modern Era

In recent years, chess has been firmly established in the cultural spirit of the times. Its appeal of online chess proliferated throughout the pandemic, making it one of the most rapidly expanding online games globally. Across media, the Netflix series a hit show, along with the author's recent novel Intermezzo, have created a distinct imagery associated with the game, which has drawn in a fresh generation of players.

However a great deal of this newfound attraction of the chess night isn't always about the technicalities of the game; rather, it is the ease of connecting with others that it enables, by taking a seat and engaging with a person who could be a complete unknown individual.

“It is a brilliant clever disguise,” said Jonah Freud, co-founder of a local venue in the city, a bookshop, library, coffee house and lounge, which has hosted a well-attended chess club every Wednesday since it began four years ago. His aim is to “remove chess off a pedestal and transform it into similar to pool in a dive bar”.

“It is a very simple tool to meet people. It somewhat takes the weight of the necessity of conversation away from interacting with people. One can handle the uncomfortable part of introducing yourself and talking to a new acquaintance over a board instead of with no kind of shared activity around it.”

Expanding the Community: Social Gatherings Beyond the Capital

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a regular chess event held at York’s Cafe, just outside the city centre. “Our observation was that individuals are looking for places where you can go out, interact and enjoy a fun evening beyond going to a bar or nightclub,” said its founder and coordinator, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Alongside his associate Abdirahim Haji, 21, Singh purchased game sets, created flyers and began the chess club in the start of the year, while in his last year of university. Within months, Singh reported their event has grown to attract more than one hundred young players to its events.

“Such a venue has a specific reputation to it, about it seeming reserved. Our approach is to go the contrary direction; it is a convivial party with chess involved,” he emphasized.

Learning and Playing: An Alternative Generation 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 fellow visitors of chess night at the venue. Her interest in the game was piqued after an enjoyable evening dancing and playing chess at one of the club's events.

“It is a strange idea, but it functions well,” she said. “It promotes in-person exchanges instead of digital pastimes. It is a free third space to encounter new people. It is inviting, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia jokingly compared the trendiness of chess among the youth to the superficial image of the “performative male”, an effort to feign intellectualism while projecting the veneer of “coolness”. If the chess trend has fostered a genuine passion in the game is not something she is quite sure about. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she observed. “When you compete against people who are truly dedicated about it, it rapidly becomes less fun.”

Serious Play and Community

It might seem like a some lighthearted activity for individuals looking to employ a chessboard as a networking tool, but serious participants do have their place, even if off the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who assists in organise Knight Club,says that more skilled players have established a league table. “People who are part of the competition will play each other, we'll go to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we'll finally have a league winner.”

A dedicated player, 23, is a serious competitor and chess teacher. He joined the competition for about a twelve months and participates at the club almost every week. “This is a nice option to engaging in serious chess; it gives a sense of belonging,” he expressed.

“It is interesting to observe how it evolves into increasingly a communal pastime, because in the past the only people who engaged in chess were those who didn't go outside; they just remained home. It is usually just two people playing on a game board …

“The thing appeals to me about here is that one isn't really facing the computer, you are facing live opponents.”