How it works

Your first Social Chess night

You don’t need to know anyone. You don’t need to know exactly how strong you are. Turn up and we’ll help the evening get moving.

The evening, step by step

Five simple stages, from the front door to the last game.

01Arrive
Walk in. We’ll get you started.
Say hello, sign in and pick up your Social Chess piece. It takes a moment and there is nothing to fill in at the door.
Come alone or with friends — both are completely normal here.
02See who’s here
See who’s ready for a game.
The venue display shows who is around, roughly how they play and who is free right now. No wandering the room hoping to catch someone’s eye.
03Play
Find someone around your level.
We’ll point you towards a suitable opponent rather than leaving you to guess. If you are new, you’ll be playing someone else who is new.
Boards and pieces are provided, so bring nothing but yourself.
04Circulate
One game doesn’t have to be your whole night.
When your game finishes, you become available again and can meet another opponent. Most people play several people across an evening.
That is the part that turns a chess night into a social one.
05Leave connected
More games. More conversations. More familiar faces next time.
By the end of the night you’ll have played a few people and talked to more. Come back and the room already has faces you know.