The Good Knight - Chess bar in Oslo

I used to believe I was too stupid to play chess. I was never good at mathematics or logical tasks at school. It was a struggle to grasp concepts written in words without seeing how things work practically. I was labeled as an artistic kid. I needed to visualize to perceive and grok. Words mostly meant very little to me. It is still the case to this very day.

When I was little, my grandfather taught me checkers. And, after a short while, I beat him at every game. But, when it comes to chess, I had convinced myself that it was a game for those with gifts in logical thinking and that it was too complicated for my abilities.

It was a great surprise to me to discover that I am not so hopeless at the game after all. And for that, I have to say huge thanks to @lemony-cricket, who patiently guided me through my first steps in chess! Not everyone is cut out for teaching things to people, and I could not have been luckier. I never once felt dumb, regardless of many silly mistakes and the inability to see what was right in front of me at times.

That said, I have a long way to go before I can truly claim that I know how to play chess. I need to get good and learn a bunch of tricks, which I shall collect up my sleeve. Not only that, I hope to dive deeper into the achievements of grandmasters and all. In other words, I have been bitten by the chess bug for a while now!

And so, when we were traveling to the Ghost concert in Oslo, I looked up some fun and interesting places to visit. One of them was The Good Knight! Alt i sjakk. Alltid sjakk. A chess-themed bar! I was so excited to go see it!

_{The Good Knight logo is a chess piece of black&white knight.}

For me to enjoy bar settings, I have certain criteria I look for. I love being at places that have a cozy, relaxed, not too stiff atmosphere, bartenders who are warm and friendly, and somewhat bubbly personalities or at least know how to crack a joke or two. I don’t like to be rushed or to be made feel like I have to transact constantly just to be at the place.

The Good Knight met all those criteria and then some. As soon as I set my foot there, I felt at home. It was nighttime, weekend, and, oh my, it was filled close to the brim with chess-crazed people. Every table at The Good Knight is embedded with chess boards. Most of them were taken. It was a pretty sight to observe people using their brain powers at the game everywhere I looked! I could not help myself but smile ear to ear.

There was only one downside which wasn’t the Good Knight’s fault either. It is more like Norway's fault in general. The drinks were expensive! Everything is expensive in Oslo (especially) and Norway. Of course, people in Norway also have different salaries to be able to afford such prices. I sure hope so! If not, that must be pretty tragic.

_{I’m playing with the black pieces against @lemony-cricket.}

As we started our game, a guy stopped by and looked at our board. I quickly revealed my inexperience at chess in hopes to repel the viewer, and luckily he left not long after that. I lost the game despite starting okayish for a clueless person. We kept wondering if the person who stopped by was some grandmaster or simply someone curious. I read somewhere that Norway’s grandmaster Magnus Carlsen often visits the bar but who knows? The Good Knight also hosts a lot of chess tournaments, competitions, and seminars. It seems it has become a gathering place for all those interested in the art of the game.

We enjoyed our time at the Good Knight so much that we went back there twice after. One of the times was around their opening time, and I managed to take more photos without interrupting people's privacy.

My favorite parts of the bar were all the photos on the walls of grandmasters lost in deep thought while playing, the warm and cozy lighting, and the classy design all around. Everything matched with the spirits of the game.

You collect a bag of chess pieces at the bar and order a drink from their menu, which has quite a selection of various types of beers and ciders from all around the globe. The giant black knight chess piece in the photo above was a custom tap for a beer as well! So cool!

_{Let us have a look around, shall we?}

_{This room looked like the seminar room for chess masterclasses. They had a stack of other brainy board games there too.}

_{Do you wish to sit down and educate yourself before the game? Shelves of every chess book imaginable are waiting for you to help you to expand your arsenal.}

_{King’s and Queen’s throne rooms are below. If you know what I mean? Such a funny and suiting design idea xD}

_{I was so happy to discover Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer! It is so good! Especially with a slice of lime and with ice! 100% recommend! So yummy!}

_{Tweekin’ Acid Funk was @lemony-cricket’s selected beer! It was also very good but he regretted it later.}

He regretted it later because after finishing his drink, I was able to beat him after he made a few grave errors. I had managed to take out all of his pieces except for pawns. It was my first victory over him which was a little shadowed by the fact that he had his poison. Then again, I had mine too. I still do not consider this a real win, though. But I am getting ready!

I highly recommend visiting the Good Knight for all chess players who happen to be in Oslo. It is a special place with good vibes, and while pricey, the drink selection is amazing! They do not offer food apart from really expensive nuts or chips to snack on, but the bartender let us know that everyone can bring their food with them. They are so chill about it there that they even said that people order pizza at their place all the time.

I hope you enjoyed this a tad bit of a chaotic review of the Good Knight! Thank you for stopping by, and see you around soon!