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One of the most vibrant locations on a Tuesday evening in the East End's famous street couldn't be a dining spot or a urban fashion brand temporary shop, it is a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub hybrid, to be exact.

Knight Club embodies the surprising fusion between the classic game and London's fervent nightlife culture. It was started by Yusuf Ntahilaja, 27, who began his first 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.

“I wanted to make chess clubs for people who look like me and people my generation,” he said. “Usually, chess is only put in spaces that are full of older people, which is not inclusive enough.”

Initially, there were only eight boards shared by 16 people. Today, a “successful evening” at the regular club event will attract about 280 people.

Upon arrival, Knight Club seems more like a music night than a chess club. Cocktails are flowing and tunes is in the air, but the chessboards on each table aren't just ornamental or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and surrounded by a line of onlookers waiting for their chance to play.

One regular, 24, has frequented the club often for the past four months. “I possessed little understanding of chess prior to I came here, and the first time I tried it, I competed in a game with a expert player. That was a quick win, but it made me intrigued to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half networking and 50% people actually wanting to play chess … It is a pleasant way to decompress, which doesn't involve visiting a typical nightspot to meet other people my generation.”

A Game Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Modern Age

Lately, chess has been cemented in the cultural zeitgeist. Its appeal of digital chess proliferated throughout the pandemic, establishing it as one of the most rapidly expanding online games in the world. Across media, the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, along with the author's latest novel a literary work, have created a certain imagery associated with the sport, which has drawn in a new generation of enthusiasts.

But a great deal of this recent appeal of the chess club isn't always about the intricacies of the game; rather, it is the ease of connecting with others that it enables, by pulling up a chair and playing with a person who could be a total stranger.

“It's a brilliant Trojan horse,” remarked one organizer, founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookshop, reading room, cafe and bar, which has hosted a well-attended chess club every Wednesday since it opened several years back. Freud’s objective is to “take chess from its elite status and make it feel like billiards in a dive bar”.

“It's a very simple tool to get to know people. It somewhat removes the pressure of the need of small talk from socializing with people. One can do the awkward bit of making an introduction and chatting to someone across a game instead of with no kind of context involved.”

Expanding the Network: Social Gatherings Beyond London

Elsewhere in the UK, a similar initiative is a recurring chess event taking place at a city cafe, near the city centre. “We found that people are seeking spaces where one can go out, interact and have a fun evening beyond visiting a pub or nightclub,” stated its creator and coordinator, Karan Singh, 21.

Together with his friend a partner, 21, he purchased game sets, printed flyers and began the chess club in the start of the year, while in his final year of college. In less than a year, he reported their event has grown to attract more than 100 young players to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a specific connotation to it, about it being quiet. We really try to go the opposite direction; it is a convivial get-together with chess involved,” he said.

Learning and Playing: A New Cohort of Players

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. One participant, 27, is learning how to participate in chess with other visitors of the weekly event at Reference Point. She became curious in the pastime was sparked after an enjoyable night dancing and playing chess at one of Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a unique idea, but it functions well,” she commented. “It encourages in-person exchanges rather than screen-based activities. It's a no-cost third space to meet strangers. It is welcoming, one doesn't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She jokingly likened the popularity of chess among young people to the facade of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an effort to simulate braininess while projecting the veneer of “coolness”. If the chess craze has fostered a genuine interest in the game isn't something she is quite sure about. “It's a positive phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “Once you're playing with opponents who are truly serious about it, it rapidly becomes less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It may seem like a some fun and games for those aiming to employ a chessboard as a social vehicle, but serious participants certainly have their role, even if off the dancefloor.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who assists in organise Knight Club,explains that increasingly competitive players have established a league table. “Participants who are in the league will play one another, we'll go to quarter-finals, advanced stages, and then we will finally have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a competitive player and chess instructor. He joined in the league for about a year and plays at the club almost weekly. “This offers a welcome alternative to playing intense chess; it gives a feeling of belonging,” he said.

“It is fascinating to see how it evolves into more of a social activity, because in the past the only people who played chess were people who rarely socialize; they just remained home. It's typically just a pair competing on a game board …

“The thing I like about here is that one isn't actually facing the computer, you are engaging with live opponents.”