Singapore, 2024-
In a dimly lit back alley along Aliwal Street, people are sitting on the ground, chatting and drinking teh tarik. A Bluetooth speaker has been set up, and a song from 80s rock band The Smiths flows out of it, startling a ginger cat walking by.
A party? Not really. Welcome to a typically atypical chess meet-up of the Aliwal Chess Club (ACC).
While back alleys and music are not normally associated with chess, they both feature regularly in ACC meet-ups.
This particular one on Nov 20 celebrated the third anniversary of the club, which takes its name from the area where a group of like-minded friends like to get together and relax.
“We were just a bunch of friends who loved to drink teh (tea) and hang out in the Aliwal Street area, when we realised that most of us played chess,” said 25-year-old club founder Hirfan Romzi.
In 2021, the six or seven friends, all in their early 20s, started taking their chess boards to their preferred hangout spots in Sultan Gate a couple of times a month, attracting curious passers-by.
“They would always be intrigued,” said Mr Hirfan. Some of them would play a game or two with the group, he said. “I thought, why not make it into a regular thing?
“Initially, it was just a gathering of strangers, and chess was just the medium for people to get to know one another,” adds Mr Hirfan, a projects lead at a creative events agency.
What started out by accident evolved into something more carefully planned – ACC came up with a logo and started its own page on Instagram that year.
Their motto, “Drink teh, then we play”, reflects the club’s casual, laid-back vibe.
There are many local chess clubs, but they mainly focused on training for tournaments. When ACC started out, the main aim was to make chess fun and accessible for everyone.
Most of the club’s events are free and held in areas where passers-by can stop and watch, and even join in for an impromptu game.
The club still tries to organise meet-ups twice a month, letting people know when and where through its Instagram page. ACC also has a presence on TikTok.
“Most of the people who join our chess meets play online, but cannot find people in real life to play and chill, and that’s where ACC comes in,” says Mr Hirfan.
“One of my favourite memories was of this guy who came in with slippers and shorts, and the next person who walked in was a guy in a suit who turned out to be a lawyer,” recalls Mr Hirfan, who believes chess is a game for everyone.
“Once, an older man brought his grandkid for a chess meet, and then came back for the next meet without him, raring to find challengers,” he adds.
“It’s really nice to see such a diverse age range, and also people from all walks of life and races come together.”
ACC’s meet-ups are held at various locations across Singapore, encompassing eclectic themes.
There are late-night neon chess meets, where players use neon-illuminated chess boards under UV lights to play. There are also meet-ups featuring live bands and DJs, and events where a giant chess board, which is very popular with children, is used.
“The reason why we have so many different themes is so we can target different audiences,” says Mr Hirfan.
They have also attracted many new chess players by holding their chess meets in busy public places.
“When we first started the club, we never thought of competing to be the best, but now we’re quite clear about our agenda – it is to help people build that bridge between skill levels,” says Mr Hirfan.
“We have had players who joined us from day one and were complete newbies at chess. But these same players are now competing in actual tournaments.”
The club’s events now see an average of 100 people, quite a feat considering its first official event had only 15 attendees.
Mr Hirfan dreams of a day when ACC can have a physical headquarters, but for now, there are exciting projects ahead.
One event slated for 2025 is chess boxing: Two opponents will play alternating rounds of blitz chess and boxing until one wins by checkmate or knockout.
