Chess Boxing Yep Its Actually A Real Sport And Itll Knock You Out
There’s an age-old debate about whether chess is a sport or not. I can’t tell you if it is or isn’t, but what I can confirm for you is that boxing certainly does fall into the sport category. So what happens when you combine the two? Do you get a bunch of bishops beating up a posse of pawns? Probably not. What you do get however, is a sport so weird that even the great Mike Tyson wouldn’t want to participate… although it could be because of the chess part.
What Is Chess Boxing?
It’s pretty self-explanatory, really. Two opponents face each-other in the boxing ring. They have 11 alternating rounds of boxing and chess. the winner will be determined based on a number of different criteria. A participant will win if they knock out or checkmate their opponent. Additionally fighters (or players) can win based on the judge’s decision in the case that neither of the first two occurred.
How Did It Come About?
The genius behind this bizarre sport is Iepe Rubingh. The Dutch artist actually came up with the idea for a performance art, and then decided to take it a little further. Some might even say that he took it too far! So where did this creative artist get the idea from? He saw it in a 1992 French comic book, Froid Équateur. In the comic, rivals fight it out in the ring before eventually collapsing into a chair to finish the fight over the checkered board.
Who Plays This Sport?
So, who takes part in this ridiculous sport of chess boxing? Game nerds? Heavyweight champions? They’re more like hybrids of boffin-brained buffed bodybuilders… or at least that’s how we imagine them to be. There are different weight categories, just like in regular boxing. Participants can take part from the age of 17! Since 2003, when the sport eventually made it onto the world stage, chess boxing has become a notable sport in countries like, Germany, Russia, the U.K., and even in India!
Draw Your Own Conclusions
I’m not here to tell you what to do, but if you’re just looking to have a peaceful game of chess, perhaps you should give this one a skip. But if you’re a sucker for pain and brain on the same plain, chess boxing might just become your next favorite sport!
