Chessboxing is a sport that has only recently come into existence, but already holds a growing fan base around the world. It is an unconventional merging of chess and boxing, as the name suggests, and some think that the concept is an outlandish joke. It is a very real sport, however, and many find that the two activities, so polarising in nature, come together in an interesting and entertaining way.
Chessboxing History
Chessboxing was originally seen as a comic by a Dutch comic book artist in 1992. The comic showed two men finishing a full match of boxing, only to sit down and face one another again in chess. In the comic the idea was an ironic joke, but this did not stop the sport from becoming real. Initially many said that Chessboxing was a bizarre form of performance art, but if this is true or now, many enjoy just for being a sport as apposed to a artistic statement.
Chessboxing Rules
At its core Chessboxing has alternating rounds of chess and boxing. Contestants start with a three minute round of chess, and follow with a three minute round of boxing, and so on. The chess section of the sport is one ongoing match, with players trying to make the best of their time in the three minute period. The idea is, of course, that contestants become more likely to make mistakes at chess after exerting themselves in the boxing match, and vice versa.
A contestant wins if achieving a checkmate in the chess section, or a knockout in the boxing section. It is also possible for a contestant to lose if not making a move in chess for an extended time, after being warned by the referee. Ultimately the game comes down to which contestant can rapidly change between the two styles of games. Interestingly, many fighters say that they appreciate the thinking aspect of chess placed into a sport such as boxing, so often associated with brutality.
Chessboxing Bet Making
Bet making on sports like Chessboxing is especially popular, given that the contestants involved must be skilled in two very different ways. Being just a good boxer is not enough, as the contestant must still keep his wits about him in the thought provoking chess part of the contest. How a skilled chess player will react after boxing is never certain, and likewise a how a skilled boxer will perform in chess is equally uncertain. This makes Chessboxing an excellent choice for bettors.
It is not uncommon for a contestant to be dominating in the chess portion of the game, only to be defeated in boxing, and vice versa. For this reason an apposing contestant may try to exploit the weakness of the person he is up against, be it boxing or chess. This can result in very unpredictable results, with a supposed underdog defeating a more seasoned and experienced opponent. As far as earning big payouts goes, few sports offer the opportunities given by Chessboxing.
