🔗 Share this article

Among the liveliest venues on a weekday night in east London's famous street isn't a dining spot or a urban fashion label pop-up, it's a chess gathering – or rather a chess club-nightclub fusion, to be exact.

This unique venue embodies the unlikely fusion between chess and the city's fervent evening entertainment culture. It was founded by Yusuf Ntahilaja, in his late twenties, who began his initial chess club in the summer of 2023 at a more intimate bar in a nearby area, a short distance from the current location at a popular cafe on the iconic lane.

“I wanted to create chess clubs for individuals who share my background and people my age,” he explained. “Typically, chess is only put in spaces that are full of senior individuals, which isn't inclusive sufficiently.”

Initially, there were just 8 boards shared by 16 people. Today, a “good night” at the regular Knight Club will draw approximately two hundred eighty attendees.

Upon arrival, Knight Club feels closer to a music night than a chess club. Cocktails are being served and music is playing, but the game boards on each table are not just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and surrounded by a queue of onlookers waiting for their chance to play.

Jimmy Ifenayi, in her mid-twenties, has frequented the club often for the last four months. “I had little understanding of chess before I came here, and the first time I tried it, I played a game with a expert player. That was a swift victory, but it left me fascinated to study and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half social and 50% people genuinely wanting to engage in chess … It's a pleasant way to decompress, which doesn't involve going to a club to see others my generation.”

An Activity Reborn: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Era

Lately, chess has been firmly established in the societal zeitgeist. Its appeal of digital chess proliferated throughout the global health crisis, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online pastimes globally. In popular culture, the Netflix series a hit show, along with the author's recent novel Intermezzo, have created a distinct iconography surrounding the sport, which has drawn in a fresh generation of enthusiasts.

But a great deal of this newfound appeal of the chess club isn't always about the intricacies of the play; rather, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it enables, by pulling up a chair and engaging with someone who may be a complete unknown individual.

“It is a brilliant clever disguise,” remarked one organizer, co-founder of Reference Point in the city, a bookshop, reading room, coffee house and lounge, which has organized a popular chess club weekly since it began several years back. His aim is to “take chess off a pedestal and transform it into like pool in a dive bar”.

“It is a really simple vehicle to meet people. It kind of takes the weight of the need of conversation from socializing with people. You can do the awkward part of introducing yourself and talking to a new acquaintance across a board rather than with no context involved.”

Expanding the Network: Social Gatherings Beyond London

Elsewhere in the UK, Chesscafé is a recurring chess event held at York’s Cafe, near the downtown area. “Our observation was that individuals are seeking spaces where you can socialize, interact and enjoy a good time outside of visiting a pub or club,” stated its founder and organiser, a young leader, 21.

Together with his friend Abdirahim Haji, also young, he purchased chessboards, created promotional materials and started the chess club in January, during his last year of university. Within months, Singh reported Chesscafé has expanded to draw more than one hundred young participants to its events.

“Such a venue has a specific connotation to it, about it being reserved. We really try to go the contrary direction; it's a convivial party with chess involved,” he emphasized.

Learning and Playing: An Alternative Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an introduction to the game. One participant, 27, is picking up how to participate in chess with other attenders of the weekly event at the venue. She became curious in the pastime was piqued after an pleasurable evening moving to music and playing chess at a previous the club's events.

“It's a unique idea, but it functions well,” she said. “It encourages in-person exchanges rather than digital pastimes. It is a no-cost neutral ground to meet strangers. It's welcoming, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

She humorously compared the trendiness of chess with young people to the superficial image of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an effort to simulate braininess while projecting the appearance of “hipness”. If the chess trend has fostered a genuine passion in the sport isn't something she is entirely convinced by. “It's a wholesome trend, but it’s very much a fad,” she observed. “Once you're playing with people who are truly serious about it, it quickly becomes less enjoyable.”

Serious Gaming and Togetherness

It might seem like a bit of fun and games for those looking to employ a chessboard as a social vehicle, but competitive participants certainly have their role, albeit off the dancefloor.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who assists in running the club,explains that increasingly competitive players have formed a competitive ranking. “People who are part of the competition will face each other, we will go to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then we'll finally have a league winner.”

A dedicated player, in his twenties, is a serious competitor and chess instructor. He has been the competition for about a year and participates at the club nearly weekly. “This is a welcome alternative to engaging in serious chess; it provides a feeling of belonging,” he expressed.

“It is fascinating to observe how it evolves into increasingly a social activity, because previously the sole individuals who played chess were people who didn't socialize; they simply remained home. It's usually only two people competing on a chessboard …

“The thing I like about this place is that you're not really playing against the digital opponent, you're engaging with real people.”