Nikolay Sazhin almost knocked out his opponent in the second round, but the Russian had to take the queen to win the match. He and Frank Stoldt of Germany battled this month in front of 1,000 cheering fans for the world championship of an odd hybrid sport—chess boxing.

Comic inspiration

"It's the No. 1 thinking game and the No. 1 fighting game," said Iepe Rubingh, the sport's 32-year-old founder. His inspiration was "Cold Equator," a 1992 French comic book in which two heavyweight boxers beat each other's brains out for 12 rounds and then play a 45-hour game of chess.

How it works

In Rubingh's version, a chessboard is brought into the ring on a table and the combatants play four minutes. The board is then wheeled away and fighters trade punches for a round. Then the board is brought back and the cycle is repeated. The chess game can last up to 24 minutes. The electronic chessboard's action is projected onto ringside screens.

3 ways to win

You can win by knocking out your opponent or topping him at chess — a victory at either ends the match. In case of a draw at chess, the boxer with more points in the ring is the winner.


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