Latest news with #KnightClub
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Chess club turns cultural hub as young Londoners leap at the chance to meet offline
Combining dance music, 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 over 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 really deep connections to be made from the get-go,' said 22-year-old organiser Lucia Ene-Lesikar. Playing chess helps people start conversations and bond together, says Lucia Ene-Lesikar, 22, one of the organisers of the Knight Club. Photo: Reuters Manu Marmolejo, from north London, cooks some Mexican tacos during a session at the Knight Club, a diverse chess club based in London that has grown to almost 1,000 members in a year. Photo: Reuters 'There's a lot of creative people, but there's also people who work in finance or work in tech or work in healthcare – so there's a whole range of people.'
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Of DJs and checkmates: London's Knight Club redefines chess for a new generation
LONDON, June 6 — 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 over 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 really 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 work in tech or work in healthcare – so there's a whole range of people.' The club's appeal lies not just in the game itself, but in how it provides something modern life is often missing, founder Yusuf Ntahilaja told Reuters. '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,' he said. — Reuters
Reuters
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
London's Knight Club brings chess and chatter to a new generation
LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - 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 over 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 really 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 work in tech or work in healthcare - so there's a whole range of people." The club's appeal lies not just in the game itself, but in how it provides something modern life is often missing, founder Yusuf Ntahilaja told Reuters. "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," he said.
