You know, I heard some young folks talking ’bout something called “chess boxing.” I thought, what in the tarnation is that? Sounds crazy, right? Chess and boxing? Like, you play chess, then you punch someone?
Well, I had to look it up, I did. And you won’t believe it. It’s a real thing! Chess boxing is real! They really do it! They play a round of that chess game, you know, with the little horseys and the king and all. Then they put on those big ol’ gloves and go at it, punching each other like them fellas on TV.
I tell ya, this world’s gettin’ stranger every day. Back in my day, we played checkers and we fought with our words, not our fists. But these young’uns, they got all sorts of newfangled ideas.
So, how does this chess boxing thing work? Well, from what I gathered, they start with the chess. Move them little pieces around the board. Then, ding ding ding, the bell rings, and it’s time to box. They got rounds, like a real boxing match.
Now, if you’re a real good chess player, a grand master, like they call ’em, you think you’re safe, right? But then comes the boxing. You can be real good at moving them horses and them little soldiers, but can ya take a punch? That is the important thing to know!
And what if you’re a big, strong boxer, like that Mark Hunt fella? You can knock someone out cold, but can you think straight after gettin’ hit in the head? Can you remember how to move the queen?
- They play chess
- Then they box
- Then back to chess
- It is a real sport!
I heard some people say it comes down to a coin toss. Like, whoever wins the toss gets to decide if they start with chess or boxing. Seems like a big deal if you ask me.
They say this whole thing was started by some Dutch fella, a performance artist, they called him. Died real young, too. Heart just gave out. Sad, really. He made up this chess boxing thing, and now it’s all over the place.
Some fella named Ludwig, he tried to have a big chess boxing match, but it got canceled. The boxing people, they didn’t like it. Said it wasn’t “pure” boxing. They want boxing to stay boxing, I guess. They have some rules that have been used for a long long time, maybe 150 years? They said that is how long these rules have been used.
And get this, they say these chess boxers, they get paid! Not much, but somethin’. I saw a number, somethin’ like $50,000 a year. Now, that ain’t a lot, but it’s more than I ever made pickin’ cotton.
It is like that fast game of chess. Throw a punch and deal with it, that is what I heard! They also say it is like moving a piece in chess, you gotta deal with what happens. Chess boxing, it is a fast paced game. You gotta think and you gotta fight!
It’s a crazy world, I tell ya. Chess boxing. Who woulda thought? But hey, if these young folks enjoy it, and nobody’s gettin’ hurt too bad, then I guess it’s all right. Still seems mighty strange to me, though.
I reckon there’s all sorts of things out there that us old folks don’t understand. But that’s okay. The world keeps turnin’, and the young’uns keep comin’ up with new things. Just like chess boxing.
It is just so weird. I can’t believe chess boxing is real! Can you believe it? It’s a real sport! But there it is. Chess and boxing, all mixed up together. Well, I’ll be.
