Chessboxing. Exactly What It Sounds Like. (Ridiculous.)
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posted by The Glowing Edge Lisa Creech Bledsoe: Speaker, writer, media ninja, Apple fangirl, boxer chick. Online a bunch. Otherwise in the gym. |
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Um, no. Despite the fact that I’ve described boxing using chess (plus swimming plus sharks) metaphors, I don’t think it really works together. Is this a bit surreal for anyone else? Sorry, when the two boxers sit down in their trunks and headphones to have it out over the chess board, that’s when I start looking around to see if they have Yuengling on draft. Something, anything to relieve the pain.
Did they do this because it rains so much in London?
Facebookers, I encourage you to click through to see the video on this one. Yes, there’s video. Of chess boxing. That’s chess plus boxing, in case you were confused.
This is not dramatic, it’s stupid! Four minutes of chess, one round of boxing. Repeat until there’s a checkmate or a knockout, I’m not joking. Would I joke about this? Strike that.
The whole thing was apparently conceived by cartoonist Enki Bilal and featured as a major plot in his graphic novel Froid Équateur. You gotta dig those black and white checkerboard boxing gloves, huh? Oh, and please pardon the nipple there, I could have photoshopped that out but the whole thing is just so weird, just so… Clockwork Orange. Something.
Can you believe Time Magazine did a piece on this? Me either. Sorry, I’m just babbling here. There’s actually a part of the Time article which says:
The 2008 World Champion Chessboxer, Russian math student Nikolaj Sazhin, 19, won the light heavyweight division in Berlin on July 5 in front of a thousand fans, after seizing his punch-drunk opponent’s queen in the fifth round of chess.
“For me the sport is very attractive and demanding and also in a kind of way spectacular,” Sazhin said, via a translator. “You have to be totally cooled down in chess coming out of the boxing round. The adrenaline is the problem.”
“[A]fter seizing his punch-drunk opponent’s queen…” This can’t go on, people.
ESPN did an article on chessboxing with the title — wait for it — “By Hook or by Rook.” Ouch. That stings, doesn’t it?
Here’s another shocker: there’s an organization, dear God and the Baby Jesus preserve us. Yep, the World Chess Boxing Organization was formed in 2008 by Tim Woolgar, who was quoted in the Telegraph saying, “”If you get a guy to box, it teaches him self-respect. But if you get teach him something like chess as well, you teach him a whole new set of skills. And those are skills which can be put to practical use when it comes to finding jobs.”
Finding jobs. Just. Wow.
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View Original Post at theglowingedge.com
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There are 7 comments on this post. Join the discussion!
chessboxer
"You can judge your age by the amount of pain you feel when you come into contact with a new idea." Pearl S Buck
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 1:56am PDT
Lisa Creech Bledsoe
Good one! I'd love to hear what you have to say about why this works so well for you...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 6:52am PDT
Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi
I don't get the headphones?
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 11:07am PDT
Lisa Creech Bledsoe
Me either. One article said it was to help the players focus on the game (i.e., tune out noise, I guess). Would love to hear from an actual participant...
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 12:13pm PDT
chessboxer
Hi, Dr LaVoi, the headphones play a music feed (we used CCR last time) and are used to prevent the contestants from hearing the live chess commentary. At our shows this is provided by IM Malcom Pein (Daily Telegraph) and one of his unique skills is an ability to bring the chess game alive, in the style of the best live sport commentary, so both experts and non-players can enjoy the full drama of the event.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 8:23am PST
chessboxer
Lisa, I'm not sure why anyone would ridicule something they have never seen, or experienced. It just seems so reactionary that I'm surprised, especially given the lively way you describe yourself above. I am staging an event in London on 4th December and it would be absolutely marvellous if you were to come along and put your prejudice to the test. I guarantee a change of heart!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 8:28am PST
Lisa Creech Bledsoe
Chessboxer, you certainly win points on remaining civil (if anonymous), and I must say that I very much appreciate your willingness to read, comment, and even invite me to check it out (details or a link would be helpful). I can't say that an overseas flight is in my budget, though. Have you considered live streaming or at least making a videotape of the event available?
And what would be additionally compelling would be for someone who is passionate about it -- a participant or a promoter would be great -- to write up a post or story about why they love it.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 8:42am PST