History

Chessboxing is a relatively new sport that combines the physicality of boxing with the mental strategy of chess. It was first introduced by Dutch artist Iepe Rubingh in 1992, but its origins can be traced back to a story about a French artist named Enki Bilal.

In Bilal’s graphic novel “Froid Équateur,” a character named Killyman engages in a sport called “tchess-boxing,” which involves alternate rounds of chess and boxing. This concept inspired Rubingh to create a real-life version of the sport, which he called “Chessboxing.”

The first Chessboxing event was held in Berlin in 2003 and was an instant success. Since then, the sport has grown in popularity, with clubs and competitions springing up around the world.

The Chessboxing World Championship was first held in Amsterdam in 2005 and has since become an annual event. The championship consists of 11 rounds, with six rounds of chess and five rounds of boxing. The player who either wins by knockout or checkmate, or who has the most points at the end of the game, is declared the winner.

Rules

Chessboxing is a sport that combines chess and boxing. The game consists of alternating rounds of chess and boxing, with a total of 11 rounds. There are six rounds of chess and five rounds of boxing, each round lasting three minutes.

In the chess rounds, the players take turns making moves on a standard chessboard. Each player has 12 minutes to make all their moves. If a player makes an illegal move, their opponent is awarded two extra minutes on their clock. If a player runs out of time, they lose the game.

In the boxing rounds, players wear gloves and protective gear and try to knock out their opponent or win by decision from the referee or judges.

If the game is tied at the end of the 11 rounds, a tiebreaker round of chess is played with a time control of five minutes per player. If the game is still tied after the tiebreaker, an additional sudden-death round of boxing is played, and the first player to land a scoring blow wins.

To ensure fair play, there are specific rules related to conduct and behavior. Players are not allowed to use physical or verbal abuse, nor are they allowed to use any devices to communicate with others during the game.