London's Knight Club brings chess and chatter to new generation

Combining dance music, some social media buzz and one of the world's oldest pastimes, London chess group Knight Club draws dozens of players each week, creating a social space its organisers say is much-needed by the city's younger generations.

The club has quickly grown into a cultural hub since launching last year, drawing more than 100 players to its weekly Tuesday sessions where live DJ sets compete with the clatter of chess pieces on boards.

In a world dominated by digital communication, the club — run largely by volunteers under the age of 25 — wants to offer a physical alternative to scrolling on screens.

“Having a game, or having something to bond over, or to start a conversation, enables deep connections to be made from the get-go,” said 21-year-old organiser Lucia Ene-Lesikar.

“There's a lot of creative people, but there's also people who work in finance or in tech or health care — so there's a whole range of people.”

The club's appeal lies not just in the game but in how it provides something modern life is often missing, founder Yusuf Ntahilaja said. “Knight Club, first and foremost, is a space for people to connect and gather — chess being the medium and the most important way to connect — but more than anything, just providing a basic, or societal, human need.”

Reuters