The Good Knight is a popular chess pub in Oslo that has received worldwide attention and is frequented by chess amateurs, grandmasters, the world chess champion and even Hollywood stars. On the new episode of The Late Knight Show the founder Kristoffer Gressli shares the inside story of how it all started and how it's going.

The Good Knight chess pub in Oslo has become quite an attraction for chess fans from all over the world since its opening in the days before the 2018 World Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.

Featured in The New York Times, New In Chess, recommended by Visit Norway, “the world's first true chess pub” has received attention all over the world as the go-to place for chess fans. Viewers of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour are also guaranteed to get a glimpse of the pub, as most of the videos and crazy “challenges” have been filmed there.

On the latest episode of The Late Knight Show, The Good Knight founder Kristoffer Gressli tells the story of how it all started. Gressli is an avid chess player himself, an International Arbiter and a journalist who edited the official magazine for the Norwegian Chess Federation. 

Just after quitting his job, he had a conversation with a friend during a car ride. 

I wanted to start a place where we can have some tournaments and sell chess stuff, but it's so hard to get money for the rent because the rent in Oslo is sky high and we are only going to be open eight hours a day. Then he just said, “Have you ever thought about a chess pub?'” “No, but that is a damn brilliant idea!”

Gressli then says they pitched the idea to a chess-crazed aquaintance who had opened other niche pubs in Norway's capital. Working nearly 24 hours a day 7 days a week, with valuable help from his team, he managed to open the pub in time for the first game between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.

The world champion himself is a regular visitor, Gressli says. So are plenty of amateurs, grandmasters and celebrities. Gressli also reveals the name of a Hollywood star who once visited. 

The Good Knight chess pub is located in the centre of Oslo | photo: The Good Knight Facebook page

If you want to know who, check out the 42-minute episode on all the major podcast platforms. With Premium membership you will also be able to watch the full video with Askild, David and Kristoffer.

You can watch the podcast through Spotify, Apple or Amazon.

The first episode of The Late Knight Show had none other than World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen as the guest. Episode two features Meltwater Champions Chess Tour commentator Jovanka Houska and runs over two parts.

You can also watch the full video of the shows if you go Premium on chess24 with the code TEAMMAGNUS, and a one-year Premium membership will give you 40% off as well as this unique chess24 mug!

See also:

• Premium members: Watch the full videos of the shows
  
• The Late Knight Show: Simon Williams
• The Late Knight Show on Spotify
• Henrik Carlsen on the moment he had to pinch himself