File this one under “Only at Macalester:” In the Leonard Center on Saturday, March 1 at 8 pm, a chess-wrestling show will take place. It’s an all-new hybrid sport that will welcome participants and spectators during the Open Swiss Chess Festival this weekend.
Chess-wrestling takes inspiration from chess boxing, the first sport to combine the mental battle of chess with a physical battle. However, chess boxing has its shortcomings. Namely, it’s too violent: boxing carries the risk of traumatic brain injury, a deterrent for anyone, including chess players who depend upon detailed thinking to excel at their game. Enter wrestling as a replacement, and enter Sofia Doroshenko ’25, the organizer of the event.
“In my head, they’re intermingled because wrestling is literally called
‘body chess’,” Doroshenko said. “So I was like, ‘okay, chess boxing is a thing,’ and to me, that at first made no sense. But then, I watched a little bit of it and was like, ‘wait, this is actually exciting, because if you get really mad over the board, you can actually take it out for real on your opponent.’” Doroshenko isn’t the only one who finds this idea compelling. The event has gained national attention, with articles on Chess.com and in Chess Life Magazine. International Master John Bartholemew will hold a simultaneous exhibition before the event and provide live commentary during the action. Național Master Ionatan Giurgiu will participate in the event, as he did at the pilot last year. Despite its high profile, the show is open to all.
