Has anyone out there got any boxing experience? I am staging a ChessBoxing showcase in London and I'm looking for people who can box and play chess to take part. Generous expenses will be provided. ChessBoxing works as follows: two opponents begin a chess game with clocks set to twelve minutes. After four minutes the game is suspended and the same opponents box for three minutes. There's a one-minute break to change gear between rounds and the rounds alternate until there is a winner. You get a decision by checkmate or time penalty or KO or points - whichever comes first. Sounds crazy but it is an established sport, you can even watch the president of FIDE in action on Youtube! Anyone interested in having a go or just finding out more about ChessBoxing drop me an email: tim.woolgar@gbcbo.co.uk
I think either of the klitschko brothers would easily win any world championship chessboxing competition if they competed. Anyone stronger than them in chess wouldn't last 3 rounds in the ring. The only guy I can think of who would come close to competing with them is Lennox Lewis (should he come out of retirement), but either of the Ukrainians would crush Lewis, who is a self-proclaimed fan of chess, but not in the league of those guys who are estimated to be in the "A" class to expert range.
This is still the most ridiculous pairing of any sports I have ever seen.
Also, isn't the whole setup flawed to start with?
12 minutes on the clock, but a round of boxing after 4? So any retired heavyweight boxer can enter a tournament like this, make his opening move and wait out the four minutes, clobber the chess geek into a pulp and walk away as the champ...
Originally posted by CrowleyYou wouldn't have a weakling geek playing in this sport. That's pretty obvious. It would be the same as putting a guy who's a top notch ice skater, but who can't handle a hockey stick, in a hockey team.
This is still the most ridiculous pairing of any sports I have ever seen.
Also, isn't the whole setup flawed to start with?
12 minutes on the clock, but a round of boxing after 4? So any retired heavyweight boxer can enter a tournament like this, make his opening move and wait out the four minutes, clobber the chess geek into a pulp and walk away as the champ...
The idea is a competition of both mind and body. It's actually caught on more than most people anticipated.
Originally posted by ChessBully911Sure it has 😉 That's why I know the name of the top chess-boxer... Uhm...Er...
It's actually caught on more than most people anticipated.
Anyway, I stand by my original point, notwithstanding the ridiculousness of the whole idea, that a good fighter could easily dominate a competition, thus throwing the whole 'mind and body' argument out the window.
Even if we didn't put Kasparov against Mike Tyson in a chessboxing match, a good heavyweight only needs to be able to string about 10 opening book moves together without check-mating himself, so that he can fight 3 or 4 rounds and he would be unstoppable, except by another good fighter.
Which then begs the obvious question: Why not just have a normal 12 round fight?
Originally posted by CrowleyWhom you know or don't know in the sport is hardly a barometer of anything more than your own ignorance. The reality is that chessboxing is a serious recognized sport. Whatever you personally choose to believe won't change that fact.
Sure it has 😉 That's why I know the name of the top chess-boxer... Uhm...Er...
And, again, as I just finished explaining to you, you wouldn't put a pee-wee-Hermin who can play chess in with a serious boxer. He wouldn't be competing in chessboxing to begin with. The competitors in this sport CAN BOTH BOX AND PLAY CHESS! We're not talking about 12 rounds of boxing here. Review the rules of chessboxing and maybe it will click for you. I don't know why you're still having trouble understanding the concept.
And stringing moves together as you suggested is nonsense. If they were sufficiently lopsided in the boxing ring, the guy would only need to make one move (any legal move), then he'd have three two minute rounds to pummel his opponent. But alas, this is not the case. Because as has already been explained to you, the competitors can both box and play chess. If you still don't get it that's too bad. I can't do anything more for you.
I noticed your 1264 rating (after nearly 2000 games). Perhaps that explains things somewhat, lol.
I am looking for people who can both box and play chess. Provided the competitors are at a roughly equivalent in both disciplines, you can have a good contest. Nevertheless before being able to take part in a championship competition competitors would need to demonstrate an acceptable level of ability in both.
Of course a Floyd Mayweather type would not need three minutes to smash someone who couldn't box - but that's regardless of whether they can play chess or not. You simply wouldn't put him in the ring with anyone who was not of an equivalent standard whether it's boxing or ChessBoxing. I hope this clears up some of the points raised.
ChessBoxing is an excellent spectator sport. It's not trying to compete with chess or boxing but it challenges people's perceptions of these activities and it's attention grabbing for that reason. It's not for everyone but a very rewarding activity just as a training thing even if you're not competing or sparring.
Still looking for takers from this forum though!