Locals who love chess and boxing are invited to take part in a new sport
PARKTOWN NORTH – Chess boxing combines the physicality of boxing with the mental skill of chess in an 11-round fight.
A new sport combining the mental skill of chess and the physicality of boxing is set to launch in Africa next month.
Founder and owner of Parktown North-based Chess Heroes Academy Corno Klaver is set to be one of the chess adjudicators at the first chess boxing event on the African continent set to take place at the Turffontein Racecourse in the south of Joburg on 9 November.
The sport, which is popular in India, Turkey and Germany, is being brought to South Africa by Juan Swart who will head up Chess Boxing South Africa. “I saw the sport on a YouTube clip and wanted to bring in to South Africa because of my brother Louis de Villiers, who started chess and martial arts at age eight. I believe this sport is made for my brother. It combines his interests in a fascinating way,” said Swart.
Swart described chess boxing as a hybrid sport comprising of chess and boxing. “The match consists of 11 rounds, beginning with three minutes of chess, a one-minute rest, then boxing for three minutes, then rounds alternate between chess and boxing.”
A victory in either chess or boxing will end the entire contest.
Swart said that fighters can win by checkmate, knockout, if the other player runs out of time, technical knockout or if the other player quits. Fighters will fight in weight divisions.
The exhibition fight on 9 November will consist of only two fighters, namely Swart’s brother Louis de Villiers (35) who has an MMA background and is a solid chess player, and Allon Breger (22) who is a current MMA fighter and good chess player.
“The aim of the event is to create awareness about the sport. Chess boxing is very special as you don’t know what the outcome will be. It is unpredictable because one wrong move in chess or boxing can cost you the fight.”
Swart has gathered together a number of pro boxing coaches and world-class chess coaches, including Klaver, to adjudicate the exhibition fight on 9 November.
Klaver said, “It will be interesting to see which aspect of the sport will take the lead at the event on 9 November.”
Kalver invites local residents with an interest in the sport to view the match on 9 November and contact Corno on coachhakia@gmail.com or Juan on jjswart75@gmail.com if they have an interest in taking up the sport. The chess boxing fight will take place between 5pm and 6pm on the day.
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