Cocktails and Chess Victories: These Young Britons Providing Chess a New Breath of Life

One of the liveliest venues on a weekday evening in east London's famous street couldn't be a restaurant or a urban fashion brand pop-up, it is a chess gathering – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

Knight Club represents the surprising fusion between the classic game and the city's dynamic nightlife scene. It was started by a young entrepreneur, in his late twenties, who launched his initial chess club in August 2023 at a more intimate bar in a nearby area, not too far from the present location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to make chess clubs for individuals who share my background and people my age,” he explained. “Usually, chess is only put in spaces that are dominated by senior individuals, which is not diverse sufficiently.”

On the first night, there were just 8 boards shared by sixteen people. Now, a “successful evening” at the weekly Knight Club will attract approximately 280 attendees.

Upon arrival, Knight Club seems closer to a music night than a chess club. Mixed drinks are being served and music is playing, but the chessboards on every table aren't just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a queue of onlookers eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

Jimmy Ifenayi, 24, has been attending Knight Club regularly for the last several months. “I had little understanding of chess before my first visit, and the initial occasion I tried it, I competed in a game against a expert player. That was a swift victory, but it made me fascinated to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she noted.

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

A Game Reborn: Chess in the Contemporary Age

Lately, chess has been firmly established in the societal zeitgeist. The popularity of digital chess proliferated throughout the pandemic, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing internet pastimes in the world. Across media, the streaming series a hit show, as well as the author's latest novel a literary work, have created a certain iconography associated with the sport, which has drawn in a fresh generation of players.

However a great deal of this newfound appeal of the chess night is not always about the technicalities of the play; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it enables, by taking a seat and engaging with a person who may be a total unknown individual.

“It's a great Trojan horse,” said Jonah Freud, co-founder of a local venue in London, a bookshop, reading room, coffee house and lounge, which has organized a well-attended chess club weekly since it began several years back. Freud’s objective is to “remove chess from its elite status and make it feel like billiards in a dive bar”.

“It's a very easy tool to get to know people. It kind of takes the pressure of the need of small talk from socializing with people. You can do the awkward bit of introducing yourself and talking to someone across a board rather than with no kind of context involved.”

Growing the Network: Chess Nights Beyond London

In Birmingham, a similar initiative is a recurring chess event taking place at a city cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that individuals are looking for spaces where one can go out, socialise and enjoy a fun evening beyond visiting a pub or club,” stated its creator and coordinator, a young leader, 21.

Alongside his friend a partner, also young, he bought chessboards, printed flyers and started the chess club in January, while in his last year of university. Within months, Singh reported their event has expanded to attract over 100 young players to its events.

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

Discovering and Engaging: A New Cohort of Players

For many, chess clubs are an introduction to the activity. Zoë Kezia, in her late twenties, is picking up how to participate in chess with fellow attenders of chess night at the venue. She became curious in the game was piqued after an enjoyable night moving to music and playing chess at a previous the club's events.

“It's a unique concept, but it functions well,” she commented. “It promotes face-to-face exchanges rather than digital activities. It is a free third space to encounter new people. It's inviting, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

She jokingly likened the trendiness of chess among young people to the facade of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an attempt to simulate intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. If the chess trend has fostered a genuine passion in the game isn't something she is entirely convinced by. “It is a positive phenomenon, but it’s largely a fad,” she said. “Once you're playing against people who are really dedicated about it, it quickly becomes less fun.”

Serious Gaming and Community

It might seem like a bit of fun and games for those looking to use a chessboard as a networking tool, but competitive participants certainly have their place, albeit away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, in her early twenties, who helps organise the club,explains that more skilled attenders have established a competitive ranking. “People who are in the league will play one another, we'll progress to quarter-finals, advanced stages, and then we'll eventually have a champion.”

A dedicated player, in his twenties, is a competitive player and chess instructor. He joined in the league for about a year and plays at the club almost every week. “This is a nice alternative to playing intense chess; it gives a feeling of belonging,” he said.

“It's interesting to see how it evolves into increasingly a communal activity, because in the past the only people who played chess were those who rarely socialize; they just stayed home. It is typically only a pair playing on a game board …

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