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Chessboxing - The Sport Of The Future?

eval writes "According to the Chessbase website, the new sport of chessboxing has been devised 'to combine the No.1 thinking sport and the No.1 fighting sport into a hybrid that demands the most of its competitors.' Sure, it sounds like a joke, but an actual match was held not too long ago at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, which 'was packed with around 800 people' to see the world champion, 'Iepe the Joker' crowned."

55 comments

  1. Interesting by gasaraki · · Score: 4, Funny

    I imagine the competitors would start off great at chess, but get worse and worse at that while their fighting game improves over their career.

    1. Re:Interesting by gabec · · Score: 4, Funny
      When I first read the blurb I thought they were talking about Human Chess (a la your favorite Renaissance Festival) where the tokens fight and the winner of the round determines the success of an attack. That'd be pretty sweet. The chessmasters would have to adapt their strategies based on known fighting-skills of their players.

      Having the players box would make gameplay anticlimactic... Envision if you will... They're jumping around pounding away at one another jowls flopping, sweat spraying, a grunt of pain as a glove makes contact... the bell rings and... they stop.

      They pull off their gloves, whip out their favorite thinking caps and perhaps a calabash pipe spending the next five minutes staring fixedly at the plastic tokens before them.... yeah... that's rousing.

      They'd even have to switch announcers just to bring the rousing mood down further. Start off with a classic boxing announcer and end up with a golf-level announcer. *snore*

  2. So... by TechnoPops · · Score: 1

    It's April Fools' Day in the Netherlands, right? :P

    --
    "Each time you smile, it'll only last awhile. Life may be scary, but it's only temporary."
  3. How about Debating Box for POTUS ... by leoaugust · · Score: 4, Funny

    Personally I would love to see the sport of Debating-Box adopted in the US.

    The Presidential Contenders Debate for four minutes and then box for two minutes. They do it till one of them can spin the debate or there is a knockout.

    The winner then advances to do the same with the sitting President. Only thing is that to help the sitting president the rules are changed and now there is two minutes of debates and four minutes of boxing.

    --
    To see a world in a grain of sand, and then to step back and see the beach where the sand lies ...
    1. Re:How about Debating Box for POTUS ... by roseblood · · Score: 4, Funny

      And Arnold though getting to Sacramento was going to be the peak of his political career! DC here he comes!

      --
      There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
    2. Re:How about Debating Box for POTUS ... by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 0, Troll
      Perhaps you do not recall the 2000 Election [I know filthy liberal scum like yourself are both trying to forget and still continuing to focus on it], but Gore was absolutely demolished in the debates leading up to the election. His child-like snorts while President Bush was speaking and his overall inability to get a point with any meaning out.

      Go ahead, keep making your sad little insults of the President. Four more years - guaranteed.

      --
      I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
    3. Re:How about Debating Box for POTUS ... by JavaLord · · Score: 3, Insightful

      erhaps you do not recall the 2000 Election [I know filthy liberal scum like yourself are both trying to forget and still continuing to focus on it], but Gore was absolutely demolished in the debates leading up to the election.

      Mod him down all you want, the truth hurts. Gore was highly touted as a master at debate while Bush was labeled as being "simple" but Gore came off poorly against Bush in the '00 debates.

    4. Re:How about Debating Box for POTUS ... by RevAaron · · Score: 1

      The reason he was modded down had little to do with the painful truth. The difference between his post and yours is the difference between something modded as "insightful" and a troll. If you can't see what he said to be labelled a troll... well, then you must be *really* conservative. :)

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
  4. Mediocrity, or supermen? by c.emmertfoster · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I figure that this will attract mostly people who are moderatly good at both, considering how little it really adds, and I can't imagine what kind of person would enjoy watching it. It's not exactly recognized as an olympic sport, either.

    'Iepe the Joker' is somewhat proficient at both boxing and chess? So what? I bet I could beat him at writing web-code, and playing Starcraft. We could call it "DHTMLStarcraft: the sport of the future!"

    I doubt it. The real sport of the future will involve people in giant robots beating the shit out of each other.

    --
    We can neither love nor pity nor forgive. If you make a slip in handling us you die!
  5. Enki Bilal by Rxke · · Score: 3, Informative

    European 'bande-dessine' (comic, strip...) author Enki Bilal used this in his works *years* ago... But I can't remember any title...

    1. Re:Enki Bilal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      here it is : "froid equateur" (1992)
      http://bilal.enki.free.fr/bibliographie.ph p3?trier _par=date

      AND, Enki Bilal IS famous and well-known etc...

    2. Re:Enki Bilal by Rxke · · Score: 1

      That's the one i meant... Yes Bilal is a Great artist... Very personal style... Great atmosphere...

  6. Those chess machines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So how long before a computer beats a human at this?

    1. Re:Those chess machines by bmnc · · Score: 4, Funny

      A long time since computers arent very good at boxing.

      I imagine when ppl begin to manipulate the rules a match will go something like this:

      Heavy Weight Boxer: So I have 12 minutes on the chess clock right?

      Chess Player: Yes. I will kick you ass in 20 moves.

      HWB: Great, I'll make one move then. This will ensure 3 rounds of boxing with you at 2 minutes each.

      CP: Ummmmm... Shit!

    2. Re:Those chess machines by devnull17 · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure. When does Skynet become self-aware again?

    3. Re:Those chess machines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not sure but it'd probably be with brute force methods (sorry)

  7. Chess Around the House by Tal+Cohen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A much better alternative is "Chess Around the House", played by Alan Turing and friends over 50 years ago. It was described in GEB and elsewhere.

    The idea is simple: make a chess move, start running a (cyclic) track. Your opponent has to make a move before you return. The faster you run, the less time your opponent has. So unlike chessboxing, there's a real, meaningful connection between the two activities. It requires good stamina, chess skills, and some thinking ahead, too (if I sprint now, he'll have less time for this move, but I'll be very tired for the next run and he'll have more time then; etc.)

    Very enjoyable!

    --
    - Tal Cohen
    1. Re:Chess Around the House by RevAaron · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Now that sounds interesting. I was wondering why "chess boxing" would be of any note considering there is no integration at all. You could take any two random activities and smash them together but avoiding creating anything new- Masturbation Hop-Scotch, Nose-picking Line-dancing, etc. Big deal.

      Whereas this "chess around the house" sounds like a clever and fun idea. If I liked running or played chess I'd totally try this, to put an extra edge on my matches.

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
    2. Re:Chess Around the House by Quikah · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No meaningful connection between the activities? I would think getting punch in the head repeatedly would have a dramatic effect on your chess game.

      --
      Q.
    3. Re:Chess Around the House by Unoti · · Score: 1

      Hey, it worked for porn-surfing/Everquest!

  8. Dumbest sport ever by ChaoticLimbs · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    This has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.
    Oh, it's European....That explains much.
    It's the dead of winter and they're bored. I can't really hold them responsible. You all know what cheap vodka is capable of.

  9. chessboxing II: physics, too by eyenot · · Score: 5, Funny

    i like it, alternately i would set up a huge board with (very staminated,) human chess pieces. in order for a taking move to be successful, the pieces would have to put up their dukes in order to prove their position. alternately they could convince the other piece to battle them in a debate over physics until one cedes the point. this is stupendous!!! (i give it three exclamation points. but you noticed that. but, i digress.)

    --
    "Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
  10. Still a Joke by Chasuk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Sure, it sounds like a joke, but an actual match was held not too long ago

    Because an "actual" match was held, it can't be a joke?

  11. Chessboxing.... by tayjo · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Someone has been listening to too much of the the Wu Tang Clan.

    --
    With your neck on my shoulders we could wreck civilization!
    1. Re:Chessboxing.... by NihilSmurf · · Score: 1

      The game of chess is like a swordfight
      you must think first before you move.


      In the front, in the back, killer bees on attack!

    2. Re:Chessboxing.... by the+Man+in+Black · · Score: 1

      I'm so glad I'm not the only /.-er to think Wu-Tang whenever I hear Chessboxing.

      The game of chess, is like a swordfight
      You must think first, before you move

  12. Harry Harrison by amcguinn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I seem to remember "Planet of the Damned" by Harry Harrison started with a kind of "decatholon" involving weightlifting, running, poetry composition and chess, among other events. It took place on a planet that was ice-bound for most of the year and had a brief summer when everyone went wild, or something like that.

    1. Re:Harry Harrison by hublan · · Score: 2, Funny

      Bit like Canada, as I'm finding out.

      --
      My spoon is too big.
  13. hmmmm.. by Millbuddah · · Score: 1

    I couldn't help but think this has got to be a joke upon first reading the article... All I've gotta say is this cannot end well.

  14. Kasparov by JFMulder · · Score: 1

    If the round of chess is played first, I bet Kasparov could win the championship without even boxing.

    And I bet he'd be okay if he ever needed to. I've seen a documentary about him a few months ago and this guy is really in top shape.

  15. Too weighted towards boxing by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Suppose (per impossible) that this sport made it big, with large amounts of prize money. Well, then it would essentially turn into straight boxing.

    I read the rules, and though you begin with chess, it goes only four minutes, and then it's a round of boxing. Even Mike Tyson could learn to not lose a chess game in four minutes (by stalling or whatever). And then, seriously, who can go a whole round against a top-rated heavyweight boxer? Only another top-rated heavyweight boxer. (In his prime, Tyson would regularly KO the second-best boxer in the world in the first round. What chess players would have a chance?)

    When you think of it, any intellectual activity/boxing hybrid will most likely be decided in the boxing segment. There might be some profound lesson in that observation...

    1. Re:Too weighted towards boxing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      a heavyweight boxer might be able to avoid losing in chess for four minutes, but a chess master may be able to keep from being KO'd in two minutes, if he's quick enough. Tyson certainly could beat the hell out of boxers who wanted to beat the hell out of him, but if someone was just simply avoiding him, could it last for two minutes? that's the real question.

      that said, I like the "Predator/Prey" role reversal idea in this game, but the game itself is recockulated.

    2. Re:Too weighted towards boxing by DigitumDei · · Score: 1

      I'd assume they still have weight divisions in this. Would be pretty unbalanced if the 100kg chess player gets to beat the crap out of the 70kg chess player.

    3. Re:Too weighted towards boxing by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 1
      Tyson certainly could beat the hell out of boxers who wanted to beat the hell out of him, but if someone was just simply avoiding him, could it last for two minutes? that's the real question.

      Funny picture! It wouldn't look much like boxing then, would it? It would be a lot of ducking and running. Really, a great recipe for a spectator sport.

    4. Re:Too weighted towards boxing by visgoth · · Score: 3, Funny
      There might be some profound lesson in that observation...

      "Let the wookie win", mayhaps?

      --
      My patience is infinite, my time is not.
    5. Re:Too weighted towards boxing by default+luser · · Score: 1

      Running away would be a sign you are unable to defend yourself.

      In most boxing matches, if you do not defend yourself, the rules state the referee must stop the fight.

      This rule is really intended to save boxers who are too tired / beat up to keep their arms up, but are too thickheaded and determined to fall to the mat. But it also can apply to fighters making a mockery of the match, so no boxing stance, no win.

      --

      Man is the animal that laughs.
      And occasionally whores for Karma.

  16. Hmmm... by 77Punker · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'll have to try this at my next chess club meeting at school!

    1. Re:Hmmm... by Funky+Jester · · Score: 1

      the first rule of chess club is:

      1. you don't talk about chess club!

    2. Re:Hmmm... by 77Punker · · Score: 1

      I started my school's chess club; I make the rules. :-)

    3. Re:Hmmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Go watch Fight Club dork!

  17. What about Go ? by Thinkit3 · · Score: 1

    Hey, has Go been brought up in this article on Chess yet?

    --
    -Libertarian secular transhumanist
    1. Re:What about Go ? by AnyNoMouse · · Score: 1

      So, every time you have a Ko fight, you fight for a KO? Ouch... ^_^;;

      --
      -Redundancy Man strikes again!
    2. Re:What about Go ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ChessGo.

      It's all fun and games till somebody loses an eye.

    3. Re:What about Go ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oops, I meant GoBoxing.

  18. Chessboxing? Been there by bluethundr · · Score: 1, Funny



    My getting beat up on the way home from Chess club was a rather regular occurance. It wasn't regulation boxing, mind you. More like "Wrestling Team/Football Team/Baseball Team vs Chess Team". But I remember these "events" being on the bill nearly every week!

    --
    Quod scripsi, scripsi.
  19. american action movie by Hubert_Shrump · · Score: 2, Funny

    can we just get done with the whole sitting thing and have something blow up?!

    i can imagine most modern theatre would be improved by sporadic fisticuffs...

    and art museums.

    --
    Keep your packets off my GNU/Girlfriend!
  20. This reminds me of a contest by TerryAtWork · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I invented some years ago.

    It was designed to eliminate people in widely contrasting contests of mind and body - for example the first one was a marathon. the top half of competitors would move on a tournament in say, some lesser board game like checkers.

    Then the top half them run 100 meters - the top half of that play another game etc.

    In the end the top 16 play a chess tournament then the top 8 chess players run 5 miles then the top 4 5-milers play Go and the best two Go players fight it out in a Ultimate Fighting championship sort of thing (but this was some years before UF)

    Who knows - this could catch on!

    --
    It's Christmas everyday with BitTorrent.
  21. Stupid humans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is a conspiracy by computers to give human chess players brain damage so the computers can finally beat them.

  22. OT: obligatory wu-tang reference by diesel_jackass · · Score: 1

    ooo
    aaa
    ooo
    aaa

    raw i'm a give it to ya
    with no trivia
    raw like cocaine straight from bolivia

    (sorry, it just popped in my head when i read the headline. there's gotta be some other wu fans on /.)

  23. chess + boxing = by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    fencing

  24. Right out of Hogwarts by thirty2bit · · Score: 1

    I couldn't help but think of this Harry Potter dialogue:

    Hermione: That's totally barbaric!
    Ron: That's Wizard's chess!

  25. This is a FREE-FOR-ALL by ziggy_zero · · Score: 1

    Did anyone else see the "more pictures of the championship"? They also had a RAP BATTLE, I assume in Dutch?

    Chess-Boxing and Dutch rap battles at the same time.....my mind is officially blown.

    --
    I belong to the ______ generation.
  26. measured by different standards by JimmytheGeek · · Score: 1

    I thought Bush was a complete nitwit - and he was.
    "Fuzzy math! Fuzzy math! (My coaches prep'd me endlessly for this one! Oh! Oh! Call on me, teacher!)"

    And the thing is, the equation was equivalent to 1-1 != 2. How was that fuzzy? If you divert Social Security receipts to private investment accounts, where do the current payments for existing retirees come from?

    Either an idiot, or a liar.

    But that's not how the debate was evaluated. So the spin - "Bush didn't soil himself" ==> "Bush held his own in debate with the guy we all know is smarter and more capable" helped him. So yeah, I guess in that sense he won. He was still an inferior candidate and remains an inadeqate human being.

    1. Re:measured by different standards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      nigger. learn to make an argument. you failed.

      i hope you choke on your father's cum, faggot.

  27. 2003 not 2000 Re:How about Debating Bo by leoaugust · · Score: 1

    When I wrote about giving the Sitting President 2 minutes for Debating and 4 minutes for boxing, I wasn't referring to the 2000 Debates. What I meant was current and

    From the NY Times

    As he enters the final year of President Bush's current term in office, while refusing to address the question of whether he would serve during a second term, Mr. Powell says, however, that he is more determined than ever to counter the perception that diplomacy in general - and his own role in particular - have been marginalized in an administration obsessed with war and terrorism.
    --
    To see a world in a grain of sand, and then to step back and see the beach where the sand lies ...