Take chess, stereotyped as a methodical game for geeks. Take boxing, stereotyped as a (somewhat) methodical game for some of the hardest athletes in the world. We’ve all heard of cagey boxing fights being referred to as chess matches before, but this is taking it to a whole new level.

What is chess boxing?

The premise? Chess and boxing are combined into one highly technical but highly confrontational sport. Two combatants play alternating rounds of boxing and blitz chess (a quicker version of chess with time controls for each player) until one wins by checkmate or knockout. There is also the opportunity to win by time penalty, as you can in normal chess, and by boxing decision if there is a draw in the chess round.

Events are held in a standard ring using standard amateur boxing equipment and rules. The chess round is also played in the ring, with the table, board, and seating on a platform being lifted in and out of the ring from the ceiling for each round.

What are the rules of chess boxing? 

A match consists of eleven alternating rounds of chess and boxing, starting and ending with chess, meaning there are six rounds of chess and only five rounds of boxing. The same game of chess is continued across rounds, with each round of both chess and boxing lasting three minutes followed by a minute break, giving them the chance to either perfect their uppercut or get their brains ticking.

If the chess game ends as a draw before the final round, one more round of boxing is held. If this round also ends without a clear victory, the fighter who is ahead on boxing points wins the overall bout.  Like boxing, chess boxers are divided into weight classes.

What is the history of chess boxing?

Chess boxing was invented by French comic book artist Enki Bilal and adapted by Dutch performance artist Lepe Rubingh as an art performance before being turned into a competitive sport.

An early version took place in a London-based boxing club in the late 1970s, while the concept was popularised by the band Wu-Tang Clan in 1993, when they released the song “Da Mystery of Chessboxin.”

The first competition took place in Berlin in 2003, and not long after, the World Chess Boxing Organisation (WCBO) was founded.

By 2012, there were two huge names in the chess boxing scene—Lepe Rubingh from Berlin and Tim Woolgar from London, who were unable to agree on forming a unified style, leaving the sport as it remains today with the WCBO and the World Chessboxing Association (WCBA).

Who plays it and where?

During the 2010s, the sport grew worldwide, most notably in Asia and the United States. Professional boxers now compete in chess boxing, most notably former British, European, and IBF light-welterweight champion Terry Marsh, who has been unbeaten in chess boxing since 2014. 

Since 2003, the world or European champion has come from nine different countries, including Russia, Italy, Lithuania, and the United States, illustrating the sport’s growing influence and popularity around the world.