Chess boxing facts for kids
Chess boxing is a super cool mixed sport! It combines two very different activities: boxing and chess. Imagine playing a round of chess, then immediately switching to a boxing match, and then back to chess! This exciting sport has been around since 2003.
A Dutch artist named Iepe Rubingh came up with the idea. He was inspired by a similar sport in a book by Enki Bilal. Since then, chess boxing has become quite popular. To be great at it, players need to be really good at both chess and boxing. It's a true test of both brains and brawn!
Contents
How a Chess Boxing Match Works
A chess boxing match is made up of up to 11 rounds. These rounds switch between chess and boxing. It starts with a round of chess, then a round of boxing, and so on.
Rounds and Breaks
The first round is always chess, and it lasts for four minutes. After that, there's a two-minute boxing round. Players get a one-minute break between each round. This break gives them time to change their gear, like putting on or taking off boxing gloves.
Chess Rules
The chess part of the game is played as speed chess. This means each player only has a total of twelve minutes for their moves in the whole game. It's super fast-paced! If a player doesn't make a move during their turn in the chess round, the referee will give them a warning. They then have 10 seconds to make a move.
How to Win a Match
There are several ways to win a chess boxing match:
- Knockout: A player can win by knocking out their opponent in the boxing rounds.
- Checkmate: A player can win by getting a checkmate in the chess rounds.
- Judge's Decision: If no one wins by knockout or checkmate, the judges decide who won based on points.
- Time Out: If a player runs out of their twelve minutes in the chess game, they lose.
- Giving Up: A player can also win if their opponent gives up during the match.
The Story of Chess Boxing
The idea for combining chess and boxing first appeared in a graphic novel called Froid Équateur. This book was written by a cartoonist named Enki Bilal in 1992.
From Book to Real Sport
Iepe Rubingh, a Dutch artist, was inspired by Bilal's book. He decided to make chess boxing a real sport in 2001. In the book, the boxing match came first, then the chess. But Rubingh changed the rules. He made it so that a round of chess would come after a round of boxing. This made the sport more exciting and challenging.
First Championships
The World Chess Boxing Organisation (WCBO) helps control and organize the sport. The very first world championship for chess boxing happened in Amsterdam in 2003. Guess who won? It was Iepe Rubingh, the person who started the sport!
The first European Chess Boxing Championship took place in Berlin in 2005. A player from Bulgaria, Tihomir Atanassov Dovramadjiev, won this championship. He beat Andreas D'Schneider from Germany when D'Schneider gave up in the seventh round.
Growing Popularity
In 2008, even the World Chess Federation, FIDE, showed interest! Their president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, played a friendly chess boxing match. Also in 2008, the first Chess Boxing club in the UK opened in London. It was started by Tim Woolgar.
Later that year, in July 2008, a 19-year-old math student from Russia, Nikolai Sazhin, became the "World Champion" in Berlin. He won against Frank Stoldt, who gave up in the fifth round after losing his queen in the chess game.
See also
In Spanish: Chess boxing para niños
