SPORTS WHITH A TWIST.

CHESS BOXING.
The sport alternates between games of boxing and chess after each round -
waiting for a checkmate or knockout to decide the match. A Chess Boxing match
between two individuals lasts up to eleven rounds, starting with a four minute chess
round and followed by two minutes of boxing. There is even a World Chess Boxing
Organization, the World Chessboxing Association (WCBA) whose motto is:
Fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board.
This sport is played with two persons.
You need have a fighting skill and chess skill, World-class chess-boxers must not
only be experienced boxers, but must also be at least Class A strength as chess
players.


The concept of chess boxing came up by comics artist Enki Bilal, and chessboxing
was featured in his graphic novel Froid quateur. Iepe Rubingh brought the
concept to life, fighting under the name "Iepe the Joker". Rubingh felt the method
described in the book, a boxing match followed by a chess match, was
impractical. He instead decided on alternating rounds of chess and boxing.
The WCBA has hosted more than 20 tournaments over 5 years and has a mission
to unify international chessboxing organisations under an egalitarian banner.
The first exhibition of chessboxing in front of an audience of art lovers was staged in
Amsterdam in 2003 between "Iepe the Joker" and "Louis the Lawyer". The First
European Chess Boxing Championship took place in Berlin on October 1, 2005.
Tihomir Atanassov Dovramadjiev of Bulgaria defeated Andreas "D" Schneider of
Germany, who conceded in the seventh (chess) round.


It must be hard to find someone with skills in both areas of boxing and chess. On
the other hand chess players are known for their intelligence, and I would expect
that they would be smart enough to know that getting into a ring with someone
trying to hurt you is not a wise idea. would be fun.