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One of the most energetic venues on a weekday night in east London's Brick Lane isn't a dining spot or a urban fashion label temporary shop, it's a chess club – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, precisely speaking.

This unique venue represents the surprising blend between the classic game and the city's fervent nightlife scene. It was started by Yusuf Ntahilaja, in his late twenties, who launched his first chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in a nearby area, a short distance from the present location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to make chess clubs for individuals who share my background and those my generation,” he explained. “Usually, chess is only placed in spaces that are full of older people, which is not inclusive sufficiently.”

On the first night, there were just 8 boards between 16 people. Today, a “good night” at the weekly club event will draw about 280 attendees.

Upon arrival, the venue seems closer to a music night than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are being served and music is in the air, but the chessboards on each table aren't just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all in use and surrounded by a queue of spectators eagerly anticipating for their turn.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has been attending the club often for the last several months. “I possessed no knowledge of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I tried it, I played a game with a expert player. It was a quick win, but it made me fascinated to study and keep playing chess,” she noted.

“The event is about half social and 50% participants actually wishing to play chess … It is a pleasant way to unwind, which avoids visiting a club to see other people my generation.”

A Game Reborn: Chess in the Modern Era

Lately, chess has been cemented in the cultural spirit of the times. Its appeal of online chess expanded rapidly throughout the global health crisis, making it one of the fastest-growing internet pastimes globally. Across media, the Netflix series a hit show, along with the author's recent novel Intermezzo, have created a distinct imagery surrounding the sport, which has drawn in a fresh wave of players.

However much of this newfound attraction of the chess night isn't necessarily about the intricacies of the game; rather, it is the ease of social interaction that it enables, by pulling up a seat and engaging with someone who could be a complete unknown individual.

“It's a brilliant clever disguise,” said one organizer, founder of Reference Point in London, a bookstore, reading room, coffee house and bar, which has organized a popular chess club weekly since it began several years back. 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 simple tool to meet people. It somewhat takes the pressure of the necessity of conversation from socializing with people. You can do the uncomfortable part of introducing yourself and talking to a new acquaintance across a board instead of with no shared activity involved.”

Growing the Community: Chess Nights Outside the Capital

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a recurring chess night taking place at a city cafe, near the downtown area. “We found that people are looking for spaces where one can go out, socialise and enjoy a fun evening outside of visiting a bar or club,” stated its creator and coordinator, a young leader, 21.

Alongside his associate a partner, also young, he bought game sets, created flyers and began the chess club in the start of the year, while in his last year of university. Within months, he reported their event has expanded to attract more than one hundred youthful players to its events.

“A chess club has a particular connotation to it, about it seeming quiet. We really try to move in the opposite way; it's a social party with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Discovering and Playing: A New Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

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 pastime was piqued after an pleasurable night dancing and playing chess at a previous Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a unique concept, but it works,” she commented. “It promotes in-person interactions rather than screen-based pastimes. It is a no-cost neutral ground to meet new people. It is inviting, one doesn't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

She humorously compared the popularity of chess with the youth to the superficial image of the “performative male”, an effort to simulate intellectualism while signaling the veneer of “coolness”. If the chess trend has cultivated a genuine passion in the sport is not something she is entirely sure about. “It's a positive trend, but it’s very much a trend,” she observed. “Once you compete with opponents who are truly serious about it, it rapidly becomes less enjoyable.”

Competitive Play and Togetherness

It might all be a bit of lighthearted activity for individuals aiming to use a chessboard as a social vehicle, but competitive players do have their role, albeit away from the dancefloor.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who assists in running Knight Club,explains that increasingly competitive attenders have established a league table. “People who are part of the competition will face one another, we will progress to early rounds, advanced stages, and then we'll finally have a league winner.”

A dedicated player, in his twenties, is a serious competitor and chess teacher. He has been the competition for about a twelve months and participates at the club nearly every week. “This offers a welcome alternative to playing intense chess; it provides a feeling of belonging,” he said.

“It's interesting to see how it evolves into increasingly a social activity, because in the past the sole individuals who engaged in chess were those who didn't go outside; they simply stayed home. It is typically only a pair playing on a chessboard …

“The thing appeals to me about here is that you're not really playing against the digital opponent, you are engaging with real people.”