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Among the liveliest locations on a Tuesday night in east London's famous street couldn't be a dining spot or a urban fashion brand temporary shop, it's a chess club – or a chess and nightlife combination, to be exact.

This unique venue embodies the unlikely blend between the classic game and London's dynamic nightlife scene. It was started by Yusuf Ntahilaja, in his late twenties, who began his first chess club in the summer of 2023 at a more intimate bar in Aldgate, not too far from the current location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.

“I wanted to create chess clubs for people who share my background and those my generation,” he said. “Typically, chess is only placed in spaces that are dominated by older people, which is not diverse enough.”

On the first night, there were just eight boards shared by 16 people. Now, a “good night” at the weekly club event will draw about 280 people.

Upon arrival, the venue feels more like a music night than a chess club. Cocktails are being served and tunes is playing, but the chessboards on every table aren't just decorative or there as a novelty: they are all in use and encircled by a line of spectators waiting for their turn.

Jimmy Ifenayi, in her mid-twenties, has frequented the club regularly for the last several months. “I possessed no knowledge of chess prior to I came here, and the initial occasion I ever played, I played a game with a expert player. It was a swift win, but it left me fascinated to study and continue enjoying chess,” she noted.

“The event is about half social and half participants actually wishing to engage in chess … It is a nice way to relax, which doesn't involve visiting a club to meet others my age.”

A Game Revitalized: The Ancient Game in the Contemporary Age

In recent years, chess has been cemented in the cultural zeitgeist. The popularity of online chess expanded rapidly during the pandemic, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing online games in the world. In popular culture, the streaming series a hit show, along with Sally Rooney’s latest novel Intermezzo, have created a certain imagery surrounding the game, which has drawn in a new wave of players.

However much of this newfound attraction of the chess night isn't necessarily about the intricacies of the play; rather, it is the simplicity of connecting with others that it facilitates, by pulling up a seat and playing with a person who may be a complete stranger.

“It is a great clever disguise,” remarked one organizer, co-founder of Reference Point in London, a bookstore, reading room, cafe and lounge, which has hosted a popular chess club every Wednesday since it opened four years ago. His objective is to “take chess off a pedestal and make it feel similar to billiards in a dive bar”.

“It is a really easy vehicle to get to know people. It somewhat takes the pressure of the necessity of small talk away from interacting with people. One can do the uncomfortable bit of making an introduction and chatting to a new acquaintance across a board rather than with no shared activity involved.”

Growing the Network: Chess Nights Beyond London

In Birmingham, Chesscafé is a regular chess event held at a city cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that individuals are looking for spaces where you can go out, interact and have a good time outside of going to a bar or club,” said its founder and coordinator, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Alongside his friend a partner, 21, Singh bought chessboards, created flyers and started the chess club in January, while in his final year of university. Within months, Singh said their event has grown to attract over 100 youthful participants to its gatherings.

“A chess club has a specific reputation to it, about it being reserved. Our approach is to go the opposite way; it's a social get-together with chess as part of it,” he said.

Learning and Playing: An Alternative Generation of Chess Enthusiasts

For many, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. Zoë Kezia, 27, is picking up how to participate in chess with fellow attenders of the weekly event at the venue. Her interest in the pastime was piqued after an pleasurable evening dancing and playing chess at a previous Knight Club's events.

“It's a strange idea, but it functions well,” she said. “It encourages face-to-face exchanges instead of screen-based activities. It's a no-cost neutral ground to meet new people. It's inviting, one doesn't have to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia jokingly compared the popularity of chess with the youth to the facade of the “performative male”, an effort to simulate intellectualism while signaling the appearance of “coolness”. If the chess craze has fostered a genuine passion in the game is not something she is quite convinced by. “It is a positive trend, but it’s largely a trend,” she said. “When you're playing against opponents who are really dedicated about it, it rapidly becomes less fun.”

Serious Play and Community

It may all be a bit of lighthearted activity for individuals aiming to use a chessboard as a networking tool, but competitive players certainly have their role, even if away from the main party area.

Another organizer, in her early twenties, who helps running the club,explains that increasingly competitive players have formed a league table. “Participants who are in the league will play one another, we'll go to quarter-finals, advanced stages, and then we'll finally have a league winner.”

A dedicated player, 23, is a competitive player and chess instructor. He has been the competition for about a year and plays at the club nearly weekly. “This offers a welcome option to playing serious chess; it provides a feeling of community,” he expressed.

“It's interesting to observe how it becomes more of a communal activity, because in the past the only people who engaged in chess were people who didn't go outside; they just stayed home. It's usually only two people competing on a chessboard …

“What I like about this place is that one isn't really facing the digital opponent, you are facing live opponents.”