Chess and boxing? One wrong move and …
Last Modified: Monday, July 6, 2009 at 9:15 p.m.
It’s official.
We have finally run out of sports to invent.
There is actually something out there called chessboxing, which combines, well, chess and boxing.
All you need is a good left rook.
Here’s how it works:
A chessboxing match consists of 11 alternating rounds of boxing and chess.
It starts with a 4-minute round of “speed” chess, followed by a 3-minute round of boxing and so on until a winner is determined.
You can win by knockout, checkmate or a judge’s decision.
Actually, this strange sport makes some sense. Just ask Aaron Jaco, professional boxer and co-founder of Uppercut Boxing and Fitness in
“Boxing is like a game of chess with fists,” said Jaco. “They call it the sweet science for a reason.
“It’s not just two guys beating the crap out of each other. You do have to use your head.
“Boxing is a thinking man’s sport. As much as people look at it as being barbaric, there’s a lot of thought that goes into it.”
Chessboxing bouts take place mainly in
The sport has been around since 2003, and is governed by the World Chessboxing Organization.
The organization estimates there are 150,000 potential chessboxers in the world and hopes it will be an Olympic sport in the future. Chessboxing has been featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter as well as in Time magazine.
Boxer Lennox Lewis is a fan and said in the ESPN feature he would be interested in a chessboxing bout with Vitali Klitschko.
Here is the full article.
Chessboxing is exciting.
Lewis vs. Klitschko, now that would be something. For both it is said that they are avid chess players, both were/are world champions in boxing, so they are perfect candidates for high profile chess-boxing match. A bout between these two would really put chess-boxing on a map of sports.
I would like chess mud wresting better.
It would help women’s chess.