Chess is one of the oldest games in the world, believed to date back to India in the seventh century. But in The Cadogan Arms in Chelsea, Londoners are proving the sport is alive and well.
Karmin, in her early twenties, recently moved to the capital.
“I found out about the chess club through the pub, through it being my local. And then seeing the little barcode about chess tournaments, I got all excited.”
Londoners move pieces while sinking pints at the Cadogan Arms in Chelsea.
‘It’s very ironic that I’ve become a ‘chessfluencer”
The event is run by Cosi Keen, a popular “chessfluencer”. Otherwise known by her handle @CosiChess. For Cosi, the board game’s rise on social media is a double-edged sword.
“I have a big conflict about social media,” she tells City News, “I personally try not to spend much time on it.”
Posting short chess puzzles in her 60-second ‘Minute to Minute’ series, as well as content aimed at complete beginners, Cosi has amassed over 50 thousand followers on Instagram.
“The format of chess works so well for social media because you can put a puzzle up and [viewers] are staying on because they’re trying to work out what the best move is. So the harder the puzzle is, or the more obvious it is, the more people are looking at it and feeding the algorithm, and that makes it go viral.”
The recent popularity of chess, thanks to shows like Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, has driven many to dig out a board and get playing, with online platform Chess.com recording 200 million users in 2025 — nearly doubling in two years.
Getting women on the board
But this newfound attention online has its drawbacks, particularly for female players.
Jennifer Shahade is a former US chess champion, and the first woman to win the Junior US Open. She left the sport in 2023, and has written extensively about sexism across the industry.
Jennifer Shahade, former US chess champion (Credit: AP)
“Ever since chess was created, there’s been an imbalance in the number of women playing,” she tells City News, “which is really ironic because the Queen is the most powerful piece.”
Initially, the Queen was one of the weakest pieces, only able to move one square diagonally.
[In 1500] she became the most powerful piece to speed up the game and make it more interesting. And I think that’s just a beautiful metaphor for the way in which, when you give women more power, they make the game and the world that they’re empowered in, better.
But the piece’s upgrade wasn’t without backlash. Many critics in the 1500s reactionarily dubbed chess “a madwoman’s game”. Unfortunately, Jennifer tells City News, misogyny remains within the game.
“I think it’s actually gotten worse definitely, that aspect. It’s a very popular topic among misogynists, women in chess.”
From checkmate to check-mates
Nevertheless, for Cosi Keen, social media has its advantages.
“I think of my social media […] as education. It’s people using their brains.”
As well as the cognitive benefits, Cosi believes her online popularity — and the rise of ‘Chessflueners’ more broadly — can be a good move for people looking for community off the grid.
“I feel like people are wanting to not have brain-rot, they’re wanting to do stuff in person.”
“[This event] is one of many things that I’m doing to try and maybe get people off the phone.”
At The Cardogan Arms, Karmin’s expectations of a chess club have been subverted.
“I did almost think it would be a lot of men in their 50s and 60s, so I got a little bit scared.”
“I think it’s really just about the excitement of meeting new people and playing with different types and levels that you’ve never played before.”
This is also Luke’s first time at the club. For him, it’s a great way to reconnect with an old hobby.
“When we were at home, during COVID, it was like, just get everything out of the cupboards and see what we can bide our time with that isn’t TV. So me and my brother got into [chess] then.”
While Jennifer Shahade’s still critical of the state of the professional game, she thinks events like the ones run by Cosi can make a huge difference to the chess community overall.
“I think it’s a very social game,” she says. “In the early days of chess it was one of the respectable ways that a man and a woman who weren’t married could be together. It’s like this kind of speed-dating.”
“I love London. It feels very like, intellectual and, exciting time for chess there. And I also found a lot of positivity about women and girls in chess. So, I feel like I’m very, very appreciative every time I go there.”
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HeadlineCheckmates! The young Londoners who are bonding over chess
Short HeadlineCheckmates! The young Londoners bonding over chess
StandfirstAs 'Chessfluencers' gain popularity, City News looks at how the board game's resurgence is bringing people together and challenging perceptions.
Chess is one of the oldest games in the world, believed to date back to India in the seventh century. But in The Cadogan Arms in Chelsea, Londoners are proving the sport is alive and well.
Karmin, in her early twenties, recently moved to the capital.
“I found out about the chess club through the pub, through it being my local. And then seeing the little barcode about chess tournaments, I got all excited.”
Londoners move pieces while sinking pints at the Cadogan Arms in Chelsea.
‘It’s very ironic that I’ve become a ‘chessfluencer”
The event is run by Cosi Keen, a popular “chessfluencer”. Otherwise known by her handle @CosiChess. For Cosi, the board game’s rise on social media is a double-edged sword.
“I have a big conflict about social media,” she tells City News, “I personally try not to spend much time on it.”
Posting short chess puzzles in her 60-second ‘Minute to Minute’ series, as well as content aimed at complete beginners, Cosi has amassed over 50 thousand followers on Instagram.
“The format of chess works so well for social media because you can put a puzzle up and [viewers] are staying on because they’re trying to work out what the best move is. So the harder the puzzle is, or the more obvious it is, the more people are looking at it and feeding the algorithm, and that makes it go viral.”
The recent popularity of chess, thanks to shows like Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, has driven many to dig out a board and get playing, with online platform Chess.com recording 200 million users in 2025 — nearly doubling in two years.
Getting women on the board
But this newfound attention online has its drawbacks, particularly for female players.
Jennifer Shahade is a former US chess champion, and the first woman to win the Junior US Open. She left the sport in 2023, and has written extensively about sexism across the industry.
Jennifer Shahade, former US chess champion (Credit: AP)
“Ever since chess was created, there’s been an imbalance in the number of women playing,” she tells City News, “which is really ironic because the Queen is the most powerful piece.”
Initially, the Queen was one of the weakest pieces, only able to move one square diagonally.
[In 1500] she became the most powerful piece to speed up the game and make it more interesting. And I think that’s just a beautiful metaphor for the way in which, when you give women more power, they make the game and the world that they’re empowered in, better.
But the piece’s upgrade wasn’t without backlash. Many critics in the 1500s reactionarily dubbed chess “a madwoman’s game”. Unfortunately, Jennifer tells City News, misogyny remains within the game.
“I think it’s actually gotten worse definitely, that aspect. It’s a very popular topic among misogynists, women in chess.”
From checkmate to check-mates
Nevertheless, for Cosi Keen, social media has its advantages.
“I think of my social media […] as education. It’s people using their brains.”
As well as the cognitive benefits, Cosi believes her online popularity — and the rise of ‘Chessflueners’ more broadly — can be a good move for people looking for community off the grid.
“I feel like people are wanting to not have brain-rot, they’re wanting to do stuff in person.”
“[This event] is one of many things that I’m doing to try and maybe get people off the phone.”
At The Cardogan Arms, Karmin’s expectations of a chess club have been subverted.
“I did almost think it would be a lot of men in their 50s and 60s, so I got a little bit scared.”
“I think it’s really just about the excitement of meeting new people and playing with different types and levels that you’ve never played before.”
This is also Luke’s first time at the club. For him, it’s a great way to reconnect with an old hobby.
“When we were at home, during COVID, it was like, just get everything out of the cupboards and see what we can bide our time with that isn’t TV. So me and my brother got into [chess] then.”
While Jennifer Shahade’s still critical of the state of the professional game, she thinks events like the ones run by Cosi can make a huge difference to the chess community overall.
“I think it’s a very social game,” she says. “In the early days of chess it was one of the respectable ways that a man and a woman who weren’t married could be together. It’s like this kind of speed-dating.”
“I love London. It feels very like, intellectual and, exciting time for chess there. And I also found a lot of positivity about women and girls in chess. So, I feel like I’m very, very appreciative every time I go there.”
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