According to the stereotype, punch drunk boxers are not generally thought of as the sharpest cards in the pack. But now there is a knockout new combat sport which calls on competitors to be as sharp with their minds as they are fierce with their fists, as fighters compete over rounds of both boxing and chess.
And unlike mainstream pugilism, fighters can win by not only knocking out their opponent, but also by catching them in checkmate.
Tim Woolgar, the founder of the UK's first chess-boxing gym in north London, said:"Chess is a gladiatorial game, just like boxing. "
"The perception that people have of chess players and boxers is slightly warped at either end of the spectrum. So that's the beauty of this discipline - it goes completely against those stereotypes, mixing brains with brawn."He added.
A chess-boxing game includes 6 rounds of chess and 5 rounds of boxing. Each chess round lasts four minutes, while the boxing bouts last three minutes a piece - with a one minute break in between to switch the equipment.
The sport is now governed by the World Chess Boxing Organization (WCBO), which has adopted the motto "Fighting is done in the ring and wars are declared at the table."


据英国《每日邮报》8月4日报道，传统观念认为，拳击手往往头脑简单四肢发达，但是，现在一项新兴的淘汰竞技赛可以让挑战者们轮番对决棋艺和拳击，参赛者不仅要拳头有力，头脑更得敏捷。


和主流拳击赛不同，挑战者不仅要在拳击中击败对手，而且还要在棋赛中置其于"死地"。


蒂姆•沃格称在伦敦北部开创了第一家象棋拳击体育馆，他说："象棋与拳击一样，也是一项格斗运动。"

"人们对棋手和拳击手的看法都有失偏颇。而象棋拳击比赛规则的优点就在于它与传统观点绝对对立，融合了脑力和肌体力量。" 沃格补充说。


一场象棋拳击赛中包含6个回合的象棋赛和5个回合的拳击赛。每场象棋赛持续4分钟，随后会进行一轮3分钟的拳击赛。两项比赛中间有一分钟的中场时间用来换装备。

目前该项运动由国际象棋拳击协会管理，该机构的口号是："铃响后见分晓，棋盘上决胜负"。

• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)
• compete [kəm´pi:t] v.比赛，竞争，对抗 (初中英语单词)
• boxing [´bɔksiŋ] n.拳击运动 (初中英语单词)
• unlike [,ʌn´laik] a.不同的 prep.不象... (初中英语单词)
• slightly [´slaitli] ad.轻微地；细长的 (初中英语单词)
• discipline [´disiplin] n.纪律；训练 (初中英语单词)
• combat [´kɔmbæt] v.&n.斗争；战斗；争斗 (高中英语单词)
• opponent [ə´pəunənt] a.对立的 n.对手 (高中英语单词)
• founder [´faundə] n.奠基者 v.陷落 (高中英语单词)
• switch [switʃ] n.开关 v.转换 (高中英语单词)
• perception [pə´sepʃən] n.感觉；概念；理解力 (英语四级单词)
• spectrum [´spektrəm] n.系列；范围；光谱 (英语六级单词)