House music is bumping, and drinks are flowing. And if you need a buffer for maintaining conversation with someone unfamiliar, no worries. All of this is unfolding as you play a low-stakes game of chess. This is the magic of L. Chess Club. From 8 p. A circular chess board made by an event attendee is shown at an L.
Chess Club meetup. Chess player Jonathan Erving waits for his opponent to make a move. Around the country, people are hungry for connection and eager to seek it out following the collective trauma of COVID closures.
In-person gatherings that lean into the preciousness of sharing space and being still with one another are on the rise, and Los Angeles is no exception. More supper clubs have emerged, while slow burns like magazine collaging are a hit.
The need for more thoughtful spaces to connect with new friends or romantic prospects for a few hours of casual conversation is palpable, and L. Liam Blackburn, 22, has been coming to L. Chess Club for the last nine months. Wanna dance? Los Angeles Friends is a growing cohort of native Angelenos and recent transplants searching for deeper connections in Los Angeles.
On this night, Blackburn arrived at L. Chess Club with his girlfriend, Courtney Zajac, After the two met and played a game of chess at a past Chess Club event, sparks flew, and they decided to spend time together again. Now the couple, both already seasoned chess players, count the Thursday event as a regular stop on their social calendar. Founder Kong, 26, has struck gold with this formula: an event with the laid-back ease of a chill game night and all the social and romantic possibility of a night out on the town.
