The 10th National Chess Boxing Championship, organised by the Chess Boxing Association of Gujarat under the aegis of Chess Boxing Organization of India, was inaugurated in Ahmedabad at Reliance Mall, Shahibaug on 9th September. Taking place from September 9 to 11, the Championship is also the selection competition for the team that will represent India in the 4th World Chess Boxing Championship in November in Turkey.
Ajay Patel, President of Asian Zone 3.7, inaugurated the championship at Reliance Mall, Shahibaug, in the presence of Chess Boxing athletes and coaches from across the country. Chess Boxing Organisation of India’s Founder & President Montu Das, MLA Rakesh Shah, Darshak Mehta, Vice President Reliance Malls, All India Chess Federation Vice President Bhavesh Patel, and International Grand Master Tejas Bakre were the guests of honor at the inaugural ceremony. Also present were Ankit Dalal, Secretary of Chess Boxing Association of Gujarat as Conveyor of event, and Simit Shah, Treasurer, Chess Boxing Association of Gujarat. Inauguration of the championship was followed by a cultural program and gala nights.
“I feel privileged to welcome you all to Gujarat to take part in the 10th National Chess Boxing Championship. This is the very first time Gujarat is hosting this championship, but I am sure that this is the first of many. Chess boxing is a very different kind of sport and tests the power of both the body and the brain. I am confident that this championship will go a long way in making chess boxing a mainstream sport in Gujarat and other parts of the country,” said Ajay Patel.
In his address, Chess Boxing Organisation of India’s Founder & President Montu Das, said, “We are thankful to the people of Ahmedabad and the Chess Boxing Association of Gujarat for being wonderful hosts to chess boxing athletes, coaches, and officials who have come from all over the country. There are going to be many exciting matches on September 10 and 11 and I am confident the championship will be a hugely successful one.”
The tournament comprises different categories including kids, cadets, sub-junior, junior, youth, senior & masters, boys & girls, and to men & women. It is also the selection competition for the Indian team that will represent India in the 4th World Chess Boxing Championship at Antalya in Turkey from 12th to 17th November 2022. Ankit Dalal, Secretary of Chess Boxing Association of Gujarat as conveyor of the event, said, “Chess boxing is a sport that needs both intelligence and physical strength. It trains you to face the punches, recover your balance, and demonstrate sharpness on the chess board.”
Around 100 matches are going to be played on September 10 and 11 with participation of 120 players and the prize distribution on September 11. The annual general meeting of the Chess Boxing Organization of India will also take place in Ahmedabad on September 10.
“We are happy to host the 10th National Chess Boxing Championship and are confident that it will help in popularizing Chess Boxing as a sport in Ahmedabad and Gujarat,” said Mehul Mehta, President, Chess Boxing Association of Gujarat.
Chess Boxing is a hybrid sport that combines chess and boxing and demands top mental and physical fitness from competitors. The opponents face off in alternate rounds of chess and boxing. The contest starts with a round of chess followed by a round of boxing and so on. The contest is decided by checkmate and exceeding the time limit in chess rounds, retirement in either chess or boxing round, and knockout or referee’s decision in boxing rounds.
A relatively new sport, chess boxing came into existence in 1992 and has been embraced by many nations since. The sport’s governing bodies are the World Chess Boxing Organization and the World Chess Boxing Association. Chess boxing was launched in Gujarat only in July 2021 but has become quite a popular sport.
An amateur chess boxing match consists of 5-7 alternating rounds of chess and boxing, starting and ending with chess whereas, a professional match comprises 11 alternating rounds. Each round lasts three minutes, followed by a one-minute break. The chess rounds are played under time control, with a total of nine minutes allotted to each player.
Reliance is the venue partner for the 10th National Chess Boxing Championship, while Simulations Public Affairs Management Services is the PR partner. Electrotherm India Ltd. and Polycable Accessories are the associate sponsors, and Brain Power Chess Academy is the chess partner.