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Black eyes, white knights: welcome to chessboxing


Image by Pawel Gawronski courtesy of Chessboxing Nation

As the sport grows bigger than ever, we head to Scala to meet the first-timer fighting for glory.

When Cai Brigden, a 35-year-old television actor with a square jaw and soft hazel eyes, first came to chessboxing two years ago, he thought it would be a great opportunity to “fight some chess boffins, to beat up some nerds”. Now, after training for three months at Islington Boxing Gym, he is finally ready for his first bout. The general standard of sparring during these practices has surprised him, he admits, though he’s quick to clarify: “the chess is just as aggressive as the boxing, sometimes more.”

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