Cocktails and Checkmates: The Youthful Britons Providing The Game a Fresh Breath of Vitality

One of the liveliest locations on a Tuesday night in the East End's Brick Lane couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear label pop-up, it is a chess gathering – or rather a chess club-nightclub combination, to be exact.

This unique venue embodies the unlikely blend between chess and the city's dynamic nightlife scene. It was started by a young entrepreneur, 27, who began his first chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the current location at a popular cafe on Brick Lane.

“My goal was to create chess clubs for individuals who look like me and those my age,” he explained. “Typically, chess is only put in spaces that are full of older people, which is not diverse enough.”

On the first night, there were only 8 boards between 16 people. Today, a “successful evening” at the regular club event will attract approximately two hundred eighty people.

Upon arrival, Knight Club feels more like a music night than a chess club. Mixed drinks are flowing and tunes is playing, but the chessboards on each table are not just decorative or there as a gimmick: they are all occupied and surrounded by a line of spectators waiting for their chance to play.

Jimmy Ifenayi, in her mid-twenties, has frequented the club often for the last several months. “I possessed little understanding of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I ever played, I competed in a game against a grandmaster. It was a swift win, but it left me fascinated to study and keep playing chess,” she said.

“The event is about 50% networking and 50% people actually wanting to play chess … It is a pleasant way to decompress, which doesn't involve going to a club to meet other people my age.”

A Game Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Era

Lately, chess has been cemented in the societal zeitgeist. The popularity of online chess proliferated during the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online games globally. In popular culture, the streaming series a hit show, along with the author's latest novel Intermezzo, have created a certain iconography surrounding the game, which has attracted a new wave of enthusiasts.

But much of this recent appeal of the chess club is not always about the technicalities of the play; rather, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it enables, by pulling up a chair and playing with someone who could be a complete unknown individual.

“It's a brilliant Trojan horse,” remarked one organizer, founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, reading room, cafe and bar, which has hosted a well-attended chess club every Wednesday since it began several years back. His aim is to “take chess off a pedestal and make it feel like billiards in a casual pub”.

“It's a very simple vehicle to meet people. It somewhat removes the pressure of the need of conversation away from socializing with people. You can do the uncomfortable part of making an introduction and talking to a new acquaintance over a board rather than with no kind of context around it.”

Expanding the Community: Social Gatherings Beyond the Capital

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess event held at a city cafe, near the downtown area. “Our observation was that people are seeking spaces where one can socialize, socialise and enjoy a good time beyond going to a pub or club,” said its founder and coordinator, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Alongside his friend Abdirahim Haji, 21, Singh purchased chessboards, created promotional materials and began the chess club in the start of the year, during his last year of university. Within months, he said their event has grown to attract more than one hundred young players to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a particular reputation associated with it, about it being reserved. Our approach is to move in the opposite way; it is a convivial get-together with chess as part of it,” he said.

Learning and Playing: An Alternative Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the game. One participant, 27, is learning how to play chess with other visitors of chess night at the venue. She became curious in the game was sparked after an enjoyable evening moving to music and engaging in chess at one of Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a strange idea, but it works,” she commented. “It promotes in-person interactions rather than screen-based activities. It's a free third space to encounter new people. It is welcoming, you don't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She humorously compared the popularity of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an attempt to feign braininess while signaling the veneer of “coolness”. If the chess craze has cultivated a authentic interest in the game isn't something she is entirely convinced by. “It's a positive trend, but it’s very much a fad,” she said. “When you're playing against opponents who are truly dedicated about it, it quickly turns less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It may seem like a some fun and games for individuals looking to use a game set as a social vehicle, but serious participants certainly have their place, even if away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who helps organise Knight Club,says that more competitive players have formed a competitive ranking. “People who are in the league will face one another, we will go to quarter-finals, advanced stages, and then we'll finally have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a serious player and chess teacher. He joined in the league for about a twelve months and plays at the club nearly every week. “This offers a welcome option to playing serious chess; it provides a sense of community,” he expressed.

“It's interesting to observe how it evolves into increasingly a social activity, because previously the sole individuals who engaged in chess were those who didn't socialize; they just stayed home. It's usually just a pair playing on a game board …

“What I like about this place is that you're not actually facing the digital opponent, you're facing live opponents.”