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One of the most energetic locations on a weekday night in the East End's famous street couldn't be a restaurant or a streetwear label temporary shop, it's a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, to be exact.

Knight Club represents the surprising crossover between the classic game and the city's dynamic evening entertainment scene. 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, not too far from the current location at a popular cafe on the iconic lane.

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

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

Upon arrival, Knight Club seems more like a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Cocktails are flowing and tunes is playing, but the game boards on every table are not just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and encircled by a queue of spectators waiting for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has frequented the club regularly for the last several months. “I had no knowledge of chess prior to I came here, and the first time I tried it, I played a game against a expert player. It was a swift win, but it left me fascinated to learn and keep playing chess,” she noted.

“The event is about 50% networking and 50% participants actually wanting to play chess … It is a pleasant way to decompress, which doesn't involve going to a club to see others my generation.”

A Game Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Era

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the societal spirit of the times. Its appeal of digital chess proliferated during the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the most rapidly expanding internet games globally. In popular culture, the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, along with the author's latest novel a literary work, have crafted a distinct imagery surrounding the game, which has attracted a fresh generation of enthusiasts.

However a great deal of this newfound attraction of the chess club is not always about the intricacies of the play; instead, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it enables, by pulling up a seat and engaging with a person who could be a total unknown individual.

“It's a brilliant Trojan horse,” said Jonah Freud, founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, reading room, cafe and bar, which has organized a well-attended chess club every Wednesday since it opened four years ago. His objective is to “remove chess from its elite status and transform it into similar to billiards in a casual pub”.

“It is a very easy vehicle to get to know people. It kind of takes the weight of the need of conversation from socializing with people. You can handle the awkward bit of introducing yourself and talking to someone over a board rather than with no context involved.”

Expanding the Network: Social Gatherings Beyond the Capital

In Birmingham, Chesscafé is a recurring chess event held at York’s Cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that people are looking for spaces where you can socialize, interact and enjoy a fun evening outside of going to a bar or club,” said its creator and organiser, Karan Singh, 21.

Alongside his friend Abdirahim Haji, also young, he purchased chessboards, created flyers and started the chess club in January, during his final year of university. In less than a year, Singh reported their event has grown to draw more than one hundred youthful players to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a particular reputation associated with it, about it seeming reserved. We really try to go the contrary direction; it's a social party with chess involved,” he emphasized.

Learning and Playing: An Alternative Cohort of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. One participant, in her late twenties, is picking up how to play chess with fellow attenders of the weekly event at the venue. Her interest in the game was piqued after an pleasurable evening dancing and playing chess at a previous Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a strange concept, but it works,” she commented. “It encourages in-person exchanges instead of screen-based activities. It's a no-cost third space to encounter strangers. It is welcoming, you don't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

Kezia jokingly likened the trendiness of chess among the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an effort to simulate braininess while signaling the veneer of “coolness”. If the chess craze has fostered a genuine passion in the game isn't something she is entirely sure about. “It's a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s largely a trend,” she said. “When you compete against opponents who are really serious about it, it quickly becomes less fun.”

Competitive Play and Togetherness

It may all be a some lighthearted activity for individuals looking to use a game set as a social vehicle, but competitive players do have their role, even if off the main party area.

Another organizer, 22, who assists in organise the club,explains that more competitive attenders have established a competitive ranking. “Participants who are part of the competition will play one another, we will go to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we will finally have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, in his twenties, is a serious competitor and chess instructor. He joined the competition for about a twelve months and participates at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a nice alternative to engaging in serious chess; it gives a sense of belonging,” he said.

“It's interesting to see how it evolves into increasingly a social pastime, because in the past the only individuals who engaged in chess were people who rarely socialize; they just remained home. It's usually just a pair competing on a game board …

“What I like about here is that you're not really playing against the computer, you are engaging with real people.”