Cocktails & Checkmates: These Youthful British People Giving Chess a New Breath of Vitality

Among the most energetic venues on a Tuesday night in the East End's famous street isn't a dining spot or a streetwear brand pop-up, it is a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, to be exact.

This unique venue represents the surprising blend between the classic game and London's fervent nightlife scene. It was started by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who launched his initial chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, not too far from the present location at a popular cafe on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to create chess clubs for people who look like me and people my generation,” he said. “Typically, chess is only placed in environments that are dominated by senior individuals, which is not diverse enough.”

On the first night, there were just 8 boards between sixteen people. Today, a “good night” at the weekly Knight Club will draw about 280 people.

At first glance, the venue seems closer to a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are being served and music is playing, but the chessboards on each table are not just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and encircled by a line of onlookers waiting for their chance to play.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has frequented Knight Club often for the last several months. “I had little understanding of chess before I came here, and the first time I tried it, I played a game against 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 50% networking and 50% people genuinely wishing to engage in chess … It is a nice way to relax, which doesn't involve visiting a typical nightspot to meet others my age.”

An Activity Reborn: Chess in the Modern Age

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the societal zeitgeist. Its appeal of online chess proliferated throughout the pandemic, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online games globally. Across media, the Netflix series a hit show, as well as Sally Rooney’s recent novel Intermezzo, have crafted a certain iconography surrounding the sport, which has attracted a fresh generation of enthusiasts.

But a great deal of this newfound attraction of the chess club is not necessarily about the intricacies of the play; instead, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it enables, by pulling up a seat and engaging with a person who could be a complete stranger.

“It's a great Trojan horse,” said Jonah Freud, co-founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, library, coffee house and lounge, which has organized a popular chess club weekly since it opened four years ago. His aim is to “remove chess from its elite status and transform it into like billiards in a dive bar”.

“It is a really easy vehicle to get to know people. It kind of removes the weight of the necessity of conversation from socializing with people. One can do the awkward part of making an introduction and talking to a new acquaintance across a game instead of with no shared activity around it.”

Growing the Network: Chess Nights Outside the Capital

Elsewhere in the UK, a similar initiative is a recurring chess night held at a city cafe, near the city centre. “Our observation was that people are seeking spaces where one can socialize, interact and have a fun evening beyond visiting a bar or club,” stated its creator and coordinator, a young leader, in his early twenties.

Alongside his friend Abdirahim Haji, 21, he purchased chessboards, printed flyers and started the chess club in January, during his final year of college. In less than a year, Singh reported their event has grown to draw over 100 young players to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a specific reputation to it, about it being quiet. Our approach is to move in the opposite way; it is a convivial get-together with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Learning and Playing: A New Cohort of Players

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an introduction to the game. One participant, in her late twenties, is picking up how to play chess with other attenders of chess night at the venue. Her interest in the pastime was piqued after an enjoyable night dancing and engaging in chess at one of Knight Club's occasions.

“It's a unique idea, but it works,” she commented. “It encourages face-to-face exchanges instead of digital activities. It's a no-cost third space to encounter new people. It's inviting, you don't need to necessarily be good at chess.”

She jokingly likened the trendiness of chess with the youth to the facade of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an effort to simulate braininess while signaling the appearance of “coolness”. Whether the chess craze has fostered a authentic passion in the game isn't something she is quite sure about. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “Once you're playing with opponents who are truly serious about it, it quickly becomes less fun.”

Competitive Gaming and Community

It may all be a some fun and games for those aiming to employ a chessboard as a networking tool, but serious participants do have their place, even if away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who assists in organise Knight Club,explains that increasingly competitive players have established a competitive ranking. “Participants who are part of the competition will play each other, we'll go to early rounds, semi-finals, 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 nearly weekly. “This offers a welcome option to playing intense chess; it provides a feeling of belonging,” he expressed.

“It's interesting to observe how it evolves into more of a communal activity, because previously the only individuals who played chess were those who rarely go outside; they simply remained home. It is usually only a pair playing on a chessboard …

“What appeals to me about this place is that one isn't really playing against the digital opponent, you're facing live opponents.”