The
World Chess Boxing Championship
The basic idea in chessboxing is to combine the no.1 thinking sport and the
no.1 fighting sport into a hybrid that demands the most of its competitors
– both mentally and physically, yet which can be performed by easiest
means. In a chessboxing fight two opponents play alternating rounds of chess
and boxing. The fight goes over a maximum of 11 rounds, 6 rounds of chess and
5 rounds of boxing. The fight is either decided by checkmate or ko. For a detailed
description please look at the chessboxing
rules (1 MB PDF file). The patronage of this new sport has been taken under
it´s wing by the World Chess Boxing Organisation (WCBO). It propagates
the spreading of chessboxing to all 5 continents. Further planed stations in
2004 are Berlin and Moscow. The motto of WCBO: 'Fighting is done in the ring
and wars are waged on the board'. Here are some pictures
of a chessboxing bout.
From the Radio Netherlands web site
Competitors go toe to toe across the chessboard and in the boxing ring in
a combined event which tests mental and physical capabilities to the limit.
Opponents begin with four minutes of chess then two minutes of boxing –
the cycle continues for six rounds of chess and five of boxing, unless of course
there's a knockout or a checkmate in the meantime.
A World Chess Boxing Organisation has been set up and the first "world
championships" have just been held in Amsterdam. The backers of the new
sport, the brainchild of a Dutch artist, say they hope it will become an Olympic
event by the year 2016. They say it's the ultimate mental and physical challenge
to find an all-round champion.
Will the concept take off? Have your say in this week's Amsterdam
Forum.
Top Chess Boxing events we look forward to seeing
Stareoff at the start of the classical chess boxing championship between Ukraine
heavyweight champion Vitaly Klitschko and Vladimir Kramnik.
Garry Kasparov after his hard-fought victory over Vladimir Klitschko at the Atlantic
City rapid chess boxing finals.