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Among the liveliest venues on a weekday evening in east London's famous street couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear brand pop-up, it's a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub combination, precisely speaking.

This unique venue embodies the unlikely blend between the classic game and London's dynamic nightlife scene. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who launched his first chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the present location at Café 1001 on the iconic lane.

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

On the first night, there were only eight boards between sixteen people. Today, a “good night” at the regular Knight Club will attract approximately two hundred eighty people.

Upon arrival, the venue feels closer to a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are flowing and tunes is in the air, 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 the club often for the past four months. “I had no knowledge of chess before I came here, and the first time I ever played, I played a game with a grandmaster. It was a swift victory, but it left me fascinated to learn and keep playing chess,” she said.

“The event is about 50% social and 50% people genuinely wanting to play chess … It's a pleasant way to decompress, which avoids visiting a club to see other people my age.”

A Game Revitalized: Chess in the Modern Age

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the societal spirit of the times. The popularity of online chess proliferated during the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online pastimes globally. In popular culture, the streaming series The Queen’s Gambit, as well as the author's recent novel a literary work, have crafted a certain imagery associated with the sport, which has attracted a fresh generation of players.

But much of this recent attraction of the chess night isn't necessarily about the intricacies of the play; rather, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it enables, by pulling up a seat and playing with a person who could be a total stranger.

“It's a brilliant Trojan horse,” said Jonah Freud, founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, reading room, coffee house and lounge, which has hosted a popular chess club weekly since it opened several years back. His aim is to “take chess off a pedestal and transform it into like pool in a dive bar”.

“It is a very easy tool to get to know people. It kind of takes the weight of the need of conversation from socializing with people. One can do the uncomfortable part of introducing yourself and chatting to a new acquaintance across a game rather than with no context around it.”

Growing the Community: Chess Nights Beyond the Capital

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a regular chess event taking place at York’s Cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that people are seeking spaces where you can socialize, socialise and enjoy a good time outside of going to a pub or club,” said its founder and coordinator, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Together with his friend Abdirahim Haji, 21, Singh bought game sets, created promotional materials and began the chess club in the start of the year, during his last year of college. In less than a year, he said their event has expanded to attract more than one hundred young participants to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a particular connotation to it, about it seeming reserved. Our approach is to go the contrary direction; it is a social party with chess as part of it,” he said.

Discovering and Playing: A New Cohort of Players

For many, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. Zoë Kezia, 27, is picking up how to play chess with fellow visitors of chess night at Reference Point. She became curious in the game was sparked after an enjoyable night moving to music and engaging in chess at a previous Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a unique idea, but it works,” she commented. “It promotes face-to-face interactions rather than digital activities. It is a no-cost third space to encounter strangers. It's welcoming, you don't have to necessarily be good at chess.”

Kezia jokingly compared the trendiness of chess among young people to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to feign intellectualism while projecting the veneer of “coolness”. Whether the chess craze has fostered a genuine interest in the game isn't a notion she is quite sure about. “It is a wholesome trend, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “Once you're playing with people who are really dedicated about it, it quickly becomes less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It might all be a bit of lighthearted activity for those aiming to use a game set as a networking tool, but competitive participants do have their role, albeit away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who helps running the club,explains that increasingly skilled players have formed a competitive ranking. “People who are in the league will play one another, we will progress to quarter-finals, 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 year and plays at the club nearly every week. “This is a welcome option to engaging in serious chess; it gives a feeling of community,” he said.

“It is fascinating to see how it becomes increasingly a communal pastime, because in the past the only people who played chess were those who rarely socialize; they just stayed home. It's typically only two people competing on a chessboard …

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