Chessboxing: the unique sport becoming a global hit

A new sport is slowly becoming a sensation, and it combines two pastimes that seem to be polar opposites: chessboxing. The game is exactly what it sounds like, as it combines chess and boxing to create a new spectacle. But while the sport is starting to grow in popularity, many people have not yet heard of chessboxing — and many still don't understand it.

What is chessboxing?

Chessboxing, as you might expect, intersperses rounds of chess with boxing. The sport generally "consists of 11 alternating rounds — six of chess and five of boxing — and each one lasts three minutes," said Chess.com. This is broken up by one-minute breaks. During the chess matches, a "single game is played with each player limited to a time control of nine minutes with no increment."

The "winner is determined by checkmate, resignation, knockout or disqualification by the referee." If a player does not win during the chess games, then whoever has more points throughout the boxing rounds becomes the winner.

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Where is chessboxing being played?

Chessboxing tournaments are happening in various countries. In India, where chessboxing is "fast gaining popularity," the sport is said to have "developed from an image of men boxing on a chessboard in a 1992 comic book," said the South China Morning Post. The sport has since grown to span several continents; the "first European championship took place in Berlin in 2005."

But others "believe the sport's provenance can be traced to the 1970s in London, when two brothers grabbed headlines for playing chess after a few rounds of boxing at their gym," said the Post. Since then, various tournaments have popped up throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Why is it gaining steam?

Chessboxing has become big because the major events are "top-tier in terms of entertainment, lighting, professional hosts, live streaming to multiple countries, all that kind of stuff that you would see in other kinds of sporting events," Matt Thomas, a world champion chessboxer, told USA Today. The sport is a "beautiful yin-and-yang and it's multifaceted, and I think that's really exciting to watch and be a part of."

Chessboxing has taken off particularly well in Europe because it "took lessons from boxing and wrestling in the way it presents the sport," chessboxing promoter Gavin Paterson said to The Economist. The "boxing impacts the chess and vice versa," creating a popular choice for people who want a unique entertainment option.

The advent of digital streaming has also helped chessboxing become more influential. Many "well-known YouTubers and other internet celebrities have tried to conquer professional boxing, much to the annoyance of purists and the delight of promoters who can market the bouts to younger, very online viewers," said Rolling Stone. At the same time, the "pro chess community has seen escalated drama around some of the world's top players, with match walkouts, accusations of corruption, huge lawsuits and outlandish theories about cheating."

Popular online stars like Twitch streamer Ludwig have "played on both trends," said Rolling Stone. Another "stunt saw YouTubers Cherdleys and Myth go head-to-head in chessboxing — though neither of them knows how to play chess." But this didn't seem to matter, as the "blend of strategic gameplay, physical violence, hyped color commentary and gonzo gimmicks struck a chord with people more accustomed to conventional esports streaming."