Chess Boxing Will Test Your Body and Brain

Rules

A win is decided by a checkmate or knockout. If the chess match ends in a tie, the match is decided by technical points, and if that’s a tie, the black chess player wins.

The match lasts 11 rounds and begins with chess. The combatants square off in a timed game of chess for six minutes, then switch right over to fighting. They only have a short 60-seconds while the board is being removed from the ring to take a break.

chess boxing

Once the boxing ring ends, they are back at the board continuing their ongoing chess match. Separate referees typically monitor the chess match and boxing.

If you’re wondering why they have headsets on at the table, it’s to drown out the noise of the crowd and commentators to focus on the game.

Weight classes follow normal boxing, lightweight to heavyweight—for both men and women—and an Elo chess rating of 1,600 is required for professional participation. The most recent champion, however, has an Elo over 2,000.

Origins

The idea came from a French comic book, Froid Equateur, except in the book, the chess match is played after a complete boxing match. Truly a game of endurance, athletes in the real sport must return to an in-motion game of chess between bouts of punching each other in the face.

chess boxing comic

To train, combatants will play games of speed chess after intense workouts or sprints on stairs.

“Fighting’s done in the ring, and war’s waged on the board.” -World Chess Boxing Organization motto

Source: Chess Boxing Will Test Your Body and Brain

by CFJCToday

Chess Boxing Will Test Your Body and Brain

Chess Boxing

Rules

Origins

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