Chess boxing combines chess and boxing, with opponents alternating between rounds of speed chess and boxing. The game is won by beating the opponent in chess or boxing, with judges awarding points during the boxing match. Chess boxing clubs are popular in Germany, India, Russia, and the UK, and the World Chess Boxing Organization promotes the sport. Competitors must have a minimum Elo rating of 1,800 to prevent professional boxers from dominating the game.
Chess boxing is an unusual sport that combines the strategic game of chess with the martial art of boxing. The sport was first depicted in the comic Le Froid Eqateur, which translates to Cold Equator, by Enki Bilal. The idea is attributed to the Dutch artist IEPE.
How to play chess boxing?
In chess boxing, opponents alternate between rounds of speed chess and boxing. The aim of the game is to beat your opponent in a game of chess or boxing.
The game begins with players battling it out over a four-minute round of speed chess. Next, players box for three minutes, then take a one-minute break. Players repeat this 10 times, for a total of 11 rounds.
Judges award points to players during the boxing match. The match is won when one player beats the other in chess or knocks out the opponent in boxing (players can also forfeit, or boxing can be stopped by a referee). If no such events occur, the judges will declare a winner based on the points earned while boxing. And if the points are the same, the player with the black chess pieces wins.
What is speed chess?
The type of chess that has been incorporated into chess boxing is speed chess. In speed chess, each player is given a specific amount of time to make a move. Each player has a predetermined time to win the game and if he runs out of time, he loses. A timer starts at the beginning of each player’s turn. After the player makes a move, his timer stops and the opponent’s starts.
Where is chess boxing played?
Chess boxing clubs are most popular in Germany, India, Russia and the UK.
In November of 2003, the World Chess Boxing Organization (WCBO) was formed. The WCBO also started the first club, called the Chess Boxing Club of Berlin. The WCBO is primarily concerned with promoting chess boxing as a legitimate and internationally recognized sport.
Some believe that to be successful in this sport, you just need to be a great boxer, but that’s not the case. To prevent this problem, the WCBO requires every competitor to have a minimum Elo rating of 1.800. The Elo system determines the level of statistical skill of a chess player.
A player with an Elo rating of 1.000 is considered an expert beginner, with established chess masters rating over 2.400. Requiring a boxer to have a minimum rating of 1,800 prevents professional circuit boxers from wreaking havoc in the chess boxing world.
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