Does Islington need a chess club?
By abi_silvester | Monday, October 25, 2010, 16:40
Earlier today, the Twitter feed @thechessforum picked up a tweet claiming that the London Borough of Islington was the largest town without its own chess club. This surprised me, along with a few others who said they'd be delighted to attend such a club if it existed.
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Chess: a very civilised game. Or is it?
So far we've managed to track down one existing chess club in the borough: but it's not quite what you'd expect from the famously intellectual game. 'Chessboxing' at the Dome in Tufnell Park is an altogether more physical pursuit, combining strategic game-play with a sharp right hook.
As its name suggests, chessboxing is literally a cross between chess and boxing. A match consists of up to eleven alternating rounds of each pursuit, and match begins with a four-minute chess round then as far as I can tell, concludes with one player punching the other player's lights out in a boxing ring. The actual rules may be a little more complex than that, but that seems to be the general idea.
If that's not quite your 'game of chess', would you like to see a traditional chess society set up in Islington? Do you know of any we're missing?
[Image: Plffft]
Comments
There is a Chessboxing club in Islington it meets Every Saturday 10am – noon. At the Islington Boxing Club, 20 Hazellville Road, London N19 3LP
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/3ybfmrc
For more information about the gym itself visit http://tinyurl.com/3695fmv
By Islington Boxing Club at 13:43 on 15/12/10
ReportYou can find chess boxing at the Islington Boxing Club, 20 Hazellville Road,
London, N19 3LP. They meet every Saturday 10am – noon
http://tinyurl.com/3ybfmrc
You can also find out more at http://tinyurl.com/3695fmv
By Islington Boxing Club at 13:39 on 15/12/10
ReportHmmm.... interesting point. I used to know a man who ran one in Hackney, but I've not heard of one in Islington.
What exactly happens at chess club? Do you all sit round and watch two people take each other on? Is it on rotation, or do you all play at once?
I love the idea of chess boxing, I know it's a craze at the moment - people attempting to mix high strategy and calculated thought processes with a bit of brawn and stamina... sounds like the way to turn out fine young men to me (and women, of course - I'm just more interested in the idea of male muscley geniuses walking around Tufnell Park).
And who did this research about chess-barren areas of London, anyway....?
By White Rabbit at 16:47 on 25/10/10
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