Guide Note
Chess boxing is a hybrid sport which consists of up to eleven alternating rounds of boxing and speed chess. A knockout or checkmate can end the match at any time.
Fast Facts
- Maximum rounds: Eleven
- First round: Chess
- Length of chess rounds: Four minutes
- Length of boxing rounds: Two minutes
- Speed chess played between rounds of boxing
- 2008 world champion: Nikolai Sazhin
- Inspired by the French comic book Cold Equator1
History of Chess Boxing
The sport reportedly was born with the publication of French comic artist Enki Bilal's 1992 graphic novel Cold Equator. A form of bloody chess boxing is a major part of the novel's backdrop. Inspired by the comic book, Dutch artist Iepe Rubingh organized the first match in 2003. The chess boxing club in Berlin, Germany, is the largest, with over 40 members.1
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