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Among the most vibrant venues on a weekday evening in east London's Brick Lane couldn't be a restaurant or a urban fashion brand temporary shop, it is a chess gathering – or a chess and nightlife fusion, to be exact.

This unique venue represents the unlikely crossover between chess and London's fervent nightlife culture. It was founded by a young entrepreneur, 27, who launched his initial chess club in August 2023 at a more intimate bar in Aldgate, a short distance from the present location at Café 1001 on the iconic lane.

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

Initially, there were just eight boards between 16 people. Now, a “good night” at the weekly club event will attract about 280 people.

At first glance, the venue feels closer to a DJ event than a traditional chess meeting. Mixed drinks are flowing and music is in the air, but the chessboards on every table aren't just ornamental or there as a novelty: they are all occupied and surrounded by a line of spectators eagerly anticipating for their chance to play.

One regular, in her mid-twenties, has been attending the club often for the past four months. “I had little understanding of chess prior to my first visit, and the initial occasion I tried it, I played a game with a grandmaster. That was a quick win, but it left me fascinated to learn and continue enjoying chess,” she said.

“This gathering is about half networking and half people actually wanting to engage in chess … It's a pleasant way to relax, which avoids going to a typical nightspot to see others my age.”

A Game Reborn: Chess in the Modern Age

Lately, chess has been cemented in the cultural zeitgeist. The popularity of digital chess expanded rapidly during the pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing internet games globally. Across media, the Netflix series a hit show, as well as the author's recent novel Intermezzo, have crafted a certain imagery associated with the game, which has drawn in a fresh generation of enthusiasts.

But much of this newfound attraction of the chess club isn't necessarily about the technicalities of the play; instead, it is the simplicity of social interaction that it facilitates, by taking a seat and engaging with someone who may be a total unknown individual.

“It is a brilliant clever disguise,” said one organizer, founder of a local venue in London, a bookstore, library, coffee house and lounge, which has hosted a popular chess club every Wednesday since it opened several years back. Freud’s aim is to “take chess off a pedestal and transform it into similar to pool in a casual pub”.

“It's a very easy vehicle to meet people. It kind of removes the pressure of the necessity of small talk from interacting with people. You can do the awkward bit of making an introduction and chatting to a new acquaintance across a game instead of with no shared activity around it.”

Growing the Community: Social Gatherings Outside London

Elsewhere in the UK, a similar initiative is a regular chess event held at a city cafe, just outside the downtown area. “We found that individuals are looking for places where you can go out, interact and enjoy a fun evening outside of visiting a bar or nightclub,” stated its creator and coordinator, Karan Singh, in his early twenties.

Alongside his associate Abdirahim Haji, also young, he purchased game sets, printed promotional materials and started the chess club in January, during his final year of college. In less than a year, he reported their event has grown to draw over 100 youthful players to its events.

“Such a venue has a specific reputation associated with it, about it being quiet. We really try to go the opposite direction; it's a social party with chess as part of it,” he emphasized.

Learning and Engaging: An Alternative Cohort of Players

Among numerous attendees, chess clubs are an entry point to the activity. Zoë Kezia, 27, is learning how to play chess with fellow attenders of the weekly event at Reference Point. Her interest in the game was sparked after an enjoyable night moving to music and playing chess at one of Knight Club's occasions.

“It is a unique idea, but it functions well,” she said. “It promotes in-person exchanges instead of screen-based activities. It is a no-cost neutral ground to meet new people. It's inviting, you don't need to necessarily be skilled at chess.”

Kezia jokingly compared the popularity of chess with the youth to the facade of the “ostentatious intellectual”, an attempt to feign intellectualism while projecting the appearance of “coolness”. If the chess trend has fostered a genuine interest in the game is not something she is entirely sure about. “It is a wholesome phenomenon, but it’s very much a trend,” she said. “Once you're playing with opponents who are really serious about it, it quickly turns less enjoyable.”

Serious Play and Togetherness

It might all be a some fun and games for individuals aiming to employ a chessboard as a networking tool, but serious participants do have their role, even if away from the main party area.

Lucia Ene-Lesikar, 22, who helps organise the club,says that increasingly skilled attenders have formed a league table. “People who are part of the competition will play one another, we'll go to quarter-finals, advanced stages, and then we will finally have a league winner.”

Ryames Chan, 23, is a serious competitor and chess instructor. He has been the competition for about a year and plays at the club nearly weekly. “This is a welcome alternative to playing serious chess; it gives a feeling of community,” he expressed.

“It is fascinating to see how it evolves into increasingly a communal pastime, because in the past the only people who engaged in chess were those who rarely socialize; they just remained home. It's typically only a pair competing on a game board …

“What appeals to me about this place is that you're not actually playing against the computer, you are engaging with live opponents.”