WATCHING FROM BEHIND THE RING, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK THAT OUR CANADIAN CHAMPION WOULD WIN. HE ADVANCED SLOWLY, HE LOST PIECES, HE HAD A WEAK FLANK. BUT WHEN HE STOOD UP FROM THE CHESSBOARD, HE PUNCHED HIS OPPONENT IN THE FACE. THAT SEEMED TO SEAL THE DEAL. 28
In the world of chess boxing, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Four-minute rounds of chess alternate with three-minute rounds of boxing, until either player is knocked out or runs out of time. With successive blows weakening clarity of mind, and complex board strategies weakening fighting stamina, chess boxing is a game of bravado and tenacity. On October 30th, 1974, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman boxed in a match dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle”, setting the stage for the birth of chess boxing decades later. Here, Ali’s incredible victory created an unquestionable notoriety for boxing founded on misdirection, bravado, and outright lies. In that match, Ali was expected to “poppop-pop, then step-out,” using his welldocumented speed to strike and escape before Foreman could hit back. But, at the sound of the first bell, Ali planted his feet and waited for Foreman’s attack. The crowd hushed, Ali’s manager yelled, Foreman set upon him. In that first moment, it has been said, Ali won. Rather than play to Foreman’s preparation, Ali’s switch in tactics ensured that he would be entering the fight with a significant lead—Foreman fought against the opponent he thought should be there, rather than fight against the man standing still in front of him. Outside the chess boxing stadium where our Canadian was crowned, day jobs were discussed amid talk of strategy. The champion, by day a banker with Goldman Sachs, had fought against a banker from Citibank. These professional designations were not uncommon; the list of past champions comprised of artists, lawyers, and bankers, almost anyone but professional boxers or chess grand masters. It seemed a widespread belief that beyond training, the primary skill required of the chess boxing champion was tenacity. Winning the match during the eleventh