Taking both brain and brawn, Chess Boxing is another oddball sport taking over the world. Most popular in Germany, the United Kingdom, Indian and Russia this very unique has to find its niche in the United States. Created by artist Iepe Rubingh in Germany took inspiration from a 1992 french graphic novel, “Froid Équateur” where the protagonist fights a full boxing match before playing a full game of chess.

“I wasn’t thinking of creating a sport it was a moment that happened.” says, Rubingh in a 2015 interview from Tech Open Air an annual technology festival that occurs in Berlin, Germany.

While having a drink with a friend Rubingh talked about how he and his friend started boxing and back when they were students they would play chess, with the inspiration of the graphic novel Rubingh had an idea.

“Let’s measure ourselves on every level and do a chess boxing fight.” Rubingh says, “In this craziness it actually does make sense because you’re combining the number one thinking sport with the number one fighting sport into a hybrid that…creates its own universe.”

The game consists of 11 alternating three minute rounds of six rounds of chess and five of boxing. Chess is played for 18 minutes giving each player nine minutes on the clock to play chess. Fighters win via knockout, or checkmate which ever comes first. But going over the chess time limit can lead to loss. Draws in chess can lead to an extra boxing round.

There are four professional boxing organizations but in chess there are federations all over the world under the World Chess Federation. The love for the graphic novel has even lead Rubingh to create the World Chess Boxing Organization. In 2005 the first European Chess Boxing Championship occurred and the popularity skyrocketed. Where fighters from Germany, India, Iran, Mexico and even the United States have joined the WCBO.

One sport requires a lot of training and athletic ability and the other game requires a lot of mental stamina, both require studying your opponents next move. It would be very interesting if a sport like this could end up in Skyline it would have very unique players involved but with the concussion protocols in an all time high it might not be likely. All a person can do is watch the professional do the work and see how more popular the game can get.