Drinks & Chess Victories: These Young Britons Providing The Game a New Breath of Vitality

Among the most vibrant venues on a weekday night in the East End's Brick Lane couldn't be a dining spot or a streetwear brand pop-up, it is a chess club – or a chess club-nightclub fusion, to be exact.

This unique venue embodies the unlikely fusion between chess and the city's dynamic nightlife scene. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, 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 current location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to create chess clubs for individuals who look like me and people my generation,” he explained. “Usually, chess is only put in spaces that are full of senior individuals, which is not diverse enough.”

On the first night, there were just 8 boards shared by sixteen people. Today, a “successful evening” at the weekly club event will draw about two hundred eighty people.

Upon arrival, Knight Club seems more like a DJ event than a chess club. Cocktails are being served and tunes is in the air, but the game boards on each table are not just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and encircled by a line of onlookers eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

One regular, 24, has frequented the club regularly for the past several months. “I possessed no knowledge of chess prior to I came here, and the first time I ever played, I competed in a game against a grandmaster. It was a quick win, but it left me intrigued to learn and keep playing chess,” she noted.

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

An Activity Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Modern Era

Lately, chess has been firmly established in the societal spirit of the times. The popularity of digital chess expanded rapidly throughout the pandemic, establishing it as one of the most rapidly expanding internet pastimes in the world. Across media, the streaming series a hit show, along with Sally Rooney’s recent novel Intermezzo, have created a distinct imagery associated with the game, which has drawn in a fresh wave of enthusiasts.

However much of this recent attraction of the chess night isn't necessarily about the technicalities of the play; rather, it is the ease of social interaction that it facilitates, by pulling up a chair and engaging with a person who could be a complete unknown individual.

“It's a great clever disguise,” remarked one organizer, founder of a local venue in the city, a bookstore, reading room, cafe and bar, which has hosted a popular chess club weekly since it opened four years ago. His aim is to “take chess off a pedestal and make it feel similar to billiards in a dive bar”.

“It's a very easy tool to get to know people. It somewhat takes the pressure of the necessity of conversation away from interacting with people. You can do the awkward part of introducing yourself and chatting to someone across a board instead of with no shared activity involved.”

Growing the Community: Chess Nights Beyond London

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a regular chess night taking place at a city cafe, just outside the downtown area. “Our observation was that people are seeking places where you can socialize, socialise and enjoy a good time outside of visiting a pub or club,” said its founder and organiser, a young leader, 21.

Together with his friend a partner, 21, he bought game sets, printed promotional materials and began the chess club in January, while in his last year of college. Within months, Singh reported their event has grown to draw more than one hundred youthful participants to its gatherings.

“Such a venue has a particular reputation associated with it, about it being reserved. Our approach is to go the contrary way; it is a convivial get-together with chess involved,” he said.

Discovering and Playing: A New Cohort of Players

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. Zoë Kezia, 27, is picking up how to play chess with fellow visitors of the weekly event at the venue. She became curious in the pastime was sparked after an enjoyable evening dancing and engaging in chess at a previous Knight Club's events.

“It's a unique idea, but it works,” she said. “It encourages in-person interactions instead of digital activities. It's a free third space to encounter new people. It's inviting, one doesn't have to necessarily be good at chess.”

She jokingly likened the trendiness of chess among the youth to the superficial image of the “performative male”, an effort to simulate intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. Whether the chess craze has fostered a genuine interest in the game isn't something she is quite sure about. “It is a wholesome trend, but it’s very much a trend,” she observed. “When you're playing with opponents who are truly serious about it, it quickly turns less enjoyable.”

Competitive Gaming and Community

It may seem like a some fun and games for those aiming to use a chessboard as a social vehicle, but competitive participants do have their place, even if away from the dancefloor.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who helps organise the club,explains that increasingly competitive players have formed a competitive ranking. “People who are part of the competition will play each other, we will go to early rounds, advanced stages, and then we'll eventually have a champion.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a competitive competitor and chess teacher. He joined in the league for about a twelve months and participates at the club almost weekly. “This offers a nice alternative to engaging in intense chess; it gives a feeling of belonging,” he said.

“It's fascinating to see how it evolves into more of a communal pastime, because in the past the sole individuals who engaged in chess were those who rarely go outside; they simply stayed home. It is usually just a pair playing on a game board …

“The thing I like about this place is that you're not really facing the digital opponent, you are engaging with live opponents.”