Chess Boxing

Status: Real
Chess Boxing seems to be getting a lot of attention lately. The basic premise of this sport is that you play chess for four minutes, and then you box for two minutes. Then you go back to playing chess, followed by another round of boxing. And this goes on and on for eleven rounds until someone is either knocked out, or checkmated. The website of the World Chess Boxing Organization states that:

One of the goals of this new sport is the old ideal of a healthy mind in a healthy body: mens sana in corpore sano. During a chessboxing fight the control of aggression plays a big role. That's why WCBO's motto is: "Fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board".

A search of news articles about chess boxing confirms that this is, indeed, a real sport. Though it may be a while before it gets included in the Olympics. The Wikipedia article about Chess Boxing provides this history of the sport:

The concept was invented in 1992 by cartoonist Enki Bilal, and a match of chess boxing was a major plot point of his graphic novel Froid-Équateur. Iepe "the Joker" Rubingh, a Dutch artist, inspired by Bilal's book, brought the concept to life in the spring of 2003... The first world championship was held in Amsterdam in 2003 and was won by Iepe Rubingh himself. The 1st European Chess Boxing Championship took place in Berlin on 1 October 2005 when Tihomir Titschko of Bulgaria defeated Andreas Schneider of Germany after the latter conceded defeat in the seventh round.

(via The Presurfer)

Sports

Posted on Wed Oct 26, 2005



Comments

"A healthy mind in a healthy body"? Boxers are notorious for sustaining long-term injuries, including moderate to severe brain damage. Recent studies conclude that the brain damage from repeated concussions is permanent.
Posted by Wendy  on  Wed Oct 26, 2005  at  11:00 PM
Damnit, Wendy got to that point before I could. So, I shall just ditto her.
😊
Posted by Boo  on  Thu Oct 27, 2005  at  03:04 AM
I would be horrible at this game considering I'm horrible as is at chess and I'm too wimpy and small for boxing.
Posted by Razela  on  Thu Oct 27, 2005  at  03:11 AM
Too bad we can't play this at work. :shut:
Posted by Craig  on  Thu Oct 27, 2005  at  06:43 AM
This freak'n rocks!!! and I know how to do both!
Posted by X  on  Thu Oct 27, 2005  at  07:45 AM
Are there other possible combinations? I propose "House of Cards Stacking/ Knife Throwing."
Posted by booch  on  Thu Oct 27, 2005  at  11:03 AM
Meh, that's nothing, I invented Karate monopoly years ago, only games take a while so you just fight everytime you land on someone elses property, land on your property, land on community chest, roll the dice...
If only they'd let me patent it, I could be rich
Posted by TND  on  Thu Oct 27, 2005  at  12:13 PM
As others have suggested, chess might be too difficult for punch-drunk boxers. Maybe they should play checkers instead.
Posted by Captain Al  on  Thu Oct 27, 2005  at  12:47 PM
Anyone remember "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'" by Wu-Tang Clan from their first record? Those guys are always ahead of the trends.
Posted by Paul H.  on  Thu Oct 27, 2005  at  10:32 PM
it's not chess boxing, its ski-boxing. it's why i've got this extra arm . . .
Posted by ariel  on  Fri Nov 04, 2005  at  06:52 PM
Yes, this new sport is real! Just run your eye over my photoreport on 1st European Chessboxing Heavyweight Championship (October 1st 2005), on 1st chessboxing club ever created in the world, and on chessboxing's creator, Iepe Rubingh: http://chessboxing.canalblog.com

Comments are welcome here or on my blog. Yours.
Posted by Cyril  on  Tue Nov 08, 2005  at  11:02 AM
I wish there was something like one on one basketball and chess tournaments or one on one basketball and checkers tournaments.
Posted by Pedro  on  Thu Nov 17, 2005  at  07:29 PM
or maybe even karate and chess tournaments
Posted by Pedro  on  Thu Nov 17, 2005  at  07:32 PM
or Grecco-Romano wrestling and chess tournaments, heck we could have a lot of hybrids of physical and mental sports.
Posted by Pedro  on  Thu Nov 17, 2005  at  07:49 PM
Yeah, i wouldn't and couldn't play this game either.. too wimpy and i have no patience at all to play chess. But it seems like a good game...and i like anal sex
Posted by Jessie Bumcheese  on  Mon Jul 24, 2006  at  07:42 PM
"Boxers are notorious for sustaining long-term injuries, including moderate to severe brain damage." - Actually, that's the main point of this game, you gotta try to inflict maximum damage to your opponent's brain so he/she wouldn't be able to think and do well in chess and get checkmated!
LOL

Dee
Posted by Dee  on  Sat Feb 09, 2008  at  11:19 AM
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