Where Mind and Muscle Mix

ANHAYTE GUAJARDO
Staff Writer

If someone asked you to step into a boxing ring, sit down and play chess, would you do it? This sport requires athletes to be both mentally and physically strong, French artist and filmmaker Enki Bilal created the hybrid sport of chess boxing, based on his 1992 comic book Froid Équateur.

According to The World Chess Boxing Organization (WCBO), chess boxing combines the number one thinking sport and the number one fighting sport to create the ultimate sport that demands the most from its competitors.

In a chess boxing fight, two competitors play 11 alternating rounds, consisting of six rounds of chess and five rounds of boxing. The winner is decided considering many factors, the number of checkmates or exceeding the time limit in chess, number of knockouts in boxing or the referee’s decisions. If the chess game ends in a tie, the opponent with the higher score in boxing wins. A match may be won either way, so a participant must be skilled as both a boxer and a chess player.

Throughout the years, chess boxing has been a fast growing sport with large followings in Berlin and London. If you have experience in boxing or have a passion for chess, chess boxing might be the sport for you. The WCBO is now recruiting new chess boxing talent on their official website.