Chessboxing

[Eldritch]

Chessboxing

The basic idea in chessboxing is to combine the #1 thinking sport and the #1 fighting sport into a hybrid that demands the most of its competitors – both mentally and physically.

In a chessboxing fight two opponents play alternating rounds of chess and boxing. The contest starts with a round of chess, followed by a boxing round, followed by another round of chess and so on.
A contest consists of 11 rounds, 6 rounds of chess, 5 rounds of boxing. A round of chess takes 4 minutes. Each competitor has 12 minutes on the chess timer.

A round of boxing takes 3 minutes. Between the rounds there is a 1 minute pause, during which competitors change their gear. The contest is decided by: checkmate (chess round), exceeding the time limit (chess round), retirement of an opponent (chess or boxing round), KO (boxing round), or referee decision (boxing round). If the chess game ends in a stalement, the opponent with the higher score in boxing wins. If there is an equal score, the opponent with the black pieces wins.











Short YouTube documentary on chessboxing (part 1 -- part 2 also available):

[YOUTUBE]fWUuQhX6rHY[/YOUTUBE]

World Chessboxing Organisation: www.wcbo.org

I have a hunch that a few of our members would probably be interested in giving this a go.

[The Ripper]

Mike Tyson would still win.

[Eldritch]

Mike Tyson would still win.

Not necessarily -- he might get checkmated in the first round.

[The Ripper]

Not necessarily -- he might get checkmated in the first round.

Depends if they start by boxing or playing chess.

I wonder, who are most successful? Well-rounded "fighters" or ones that put emphasis on one or the other?

Anyway, strange sport.

[Eldritch]

Depends if they start by boxing or playing chess.

They always start by playing chess first.

Wikipedia article on chessboxing.

[Murphy]

combine the #1 thinking sport

I resent this statement. Chess is in no way whatsoever the #1. That place is reserved for Go. In Chess, you fight one pitched battle. In Go you fight a long war.

[Eldritch]

I resent this statement. Chess is in no way whatsoever the #1. That place is reserved for Go. In Chess, you fight one pitched battle. In Go you fight a long war.

True enough. Maybe they should start organising kung-fugo tournaments in China, Korea and Japan?

[Murphy]

True enough. Maybe they should start organising kung-fugo tournaments in China, Korea and Japan?

I would have paid good money to watch Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee Go-Fu.

[Psychonaut]

Oh.

My.

Science.

I've been talking about this at work for years! I challenge people to chessboxing all the time, but no one ever takes me up on it.

[Ulf]

I've been talking about this at work for years! I challenge people to chessboxing all the time, but no one ever takes me up on it.

Well, now you know what I'll want to do the first time we meet. I'll bring the chess board you bring the gloves.



It's on