I feel I am putting my newspaper’s reputation and family name on the line when I announce I will be playing chess.

I enter the Thornhill Arms in Caledonian Road. Dozens of tables are taken with pairs looking as friendly and relaxed as can be possible when playing chess. It’s a good start. Maybe I won’t be sent home after all.

Every Wednesday since October a steadily growing group of chess players of all ages, ethnicities, shapes and sizes have been meeting to do friendly battle over a chequered board.

I have been told London Chess Community welcomes all abilities too, which is good news because - unlike my champion father - I am rather useless. I’m so bad that I once lost against a friend who had fewer pieces than me. My girlfriend is now able to beat me having done little more than watch the Queen’s Gambit on Netflix.

My opponent, a self described beginner, has already got the upper hand when I am joined by group founder Jake Williams - a leader significantly more relaxed than the types I remember leading chess at school.

“I run it by default,” he laughs, “there is nobody else!”

Jake came across the idea from living in Australia. He found the group fostered the idea of connection through competition and since starting the Islington group on the website Meetup last October, he has seen it grow from 20 people to around 50.

We’re joined by Vivek Hamirwasia who has relatively recently moved from New York, where he says chess is taken very seriously.

“I was living in London for a week and I was looking for a chess community and all I could see was Jake’s Meetup,” he said. “I enjoyed how laid back this is.”

I’m told that Vivek has already garnered a rather hallowed status in the community for his prowess on the board. But encouraging beginners is all part of it and among the eclectic mix of people to become regulars are a couple who only came to the Thornhill for a meal.

There are no formal procedures to the community, no membership and no fees. Jake will sometimes spend time with beginners and try to pair players of similar abilities. Soon the Wednesday nights could become other nights too in other locations around London.

I ask Jake if he has been surprised by the number of people taking it up?

“I suppose it is not,” he says after a long pause, “What we are selling here is a connection but it is for free.”

He continues: “A lot of people here have recently moved to London and it can be a really lonely place for people.

“You could be alone and see people sitting together and think, why don’t I have that?

“People can have at least one night here and think, these are my people.”

“The mental health aspect is particularly important,” he added. “I am aware of how much isolation is a key issue now in society.

“Especially now with the pandemic, people miss that interaction and that is huge for mental health. Your choices realistically are: You can join a gym, which I did for years, you can go to a church, or go to the pub and drink. Those are your two go-tos.

“People come here to have a drink, but not to have a drink,” he emphasises. “There are no social clubs anymore.”

Future plans could see non-pub chess meetings - which perhaps might improve my performance.

Jake takes a glance at the sorry state of affairs on the board in front of me. “I’m keen for people to not be smashing each other. When he took your queen there,” he picks up the piece to demonstrate, “He could have been like, ‘Boom!’ But it is just not nice to smash people.

“What do I get out of it if I win or lose? It is a night of socialising.”

Jake finishes by reiterating the friendliness of the community and that anybody is welcome. I ask if even someone of my standard is allowed or if I have brought shame upon the Islington Gazette. Jake and Vivek laugh nervously.

“Well, you know how to play the game,” Vivek says - which I’m sure is exactly what Mikel Arteta tells the Arsenal players when they lose.

“And you were doing an interview at the same time,” Jake says, coming to my aid.

This time it is my turn to laugh nervously as next week I will not even have that excuse.

Search London Chess Community on meetup.com and Facebook.com