Chess Boxing Match added to Red River Shootout VIII

Neighbors and Hollingsworth on tap for Board Six Thriller in Davis
By Victor Yaward, Chess Reporter

Davis, OK (CRN) – The annual match on April 18th between the Oklahoma and Texas Chess Teams promises more excitement than in previous years. On Board Six two old rivals, Teddy Neighbors of the Lawton Chess Club and Jim Hollingsworth from Texas will play chess as well as box to decide their match. “This is happening all over Europe,” says Tom Crane, Chief Texas Organizer for the match, “like London, Germany, and Siberia. It’s time Red River Chess moved to a new level.” Frank Berry, Oklahoma Chess Team Captain, agrees. “The Siberian Chess Boxing Organization (SCBO), Germany (GCBO), and London (LCBO) have all petitioned FIDE, the world chess championship organization, for admission and sanctioning of their events.” He adds, “Now that the Red River Chess Boxing Organization (RRCBO) is involved, CBO’s everywhere have a better chance of joining FIDE.”

Chess boxing involves both players alternating between battling on the chessboard and in the ring. Victory goes to the first competitor who achieves a checkmate or a knockout. Successful chess boxers typically have great hand speed, fancy footwork, and extraordinarily thick heads. Because of these and other qualities, Neighbors and Hollingsworth were obvious choices. “Texas is going down!” Neighbors cried at a recent Lawton Chess Club board meeting. Hollingsworth’s response was “Bring it on.” Both players qualify as heavyweights.

Adding chess boxing to RRSO VIII is the brainchild of Robert Jones, the 2009 Texas Chess Team Captain. Other ideas he has unsuccessfully advocated include giving extra match points to women players, rook odds and move to the lower rated team, and playing every other match in Texas. Registration for the two-round event is at the Treasure Valley Casino, I-35 Exit 55 & Hwy 7, in Davis, Oklahoma on Sunday, April 18th, between 9:30 and 10:45. The first round begins at 11 am sharp. Except for the Board-Six boxers, there is no early registration or weigh in. For questions, Oklahoma players should contact Frank Berry at fkimberry@AOL.com. Texas players can contact Tom Crane at tcrane5000@yahoo.com or by phone 817-296-4287 or Robert Jones at 214-212-9185 or email jonessoc@juno.com.

As all serious chess players know, the REAL Red River Shootout is a series of matches between the most fanatical chess players in Oklahoma and Texas. Texas leads 5-2 despite playing on the road six out of seven contests. Publicity and results for the match are in the Oklahoma Chess Quarterly, on line in the Oklahoma Chess Form, on the Texas Chess Association web site, and on the famous chess reporter's (Victor Yaward) blog site: http://texaschessreporter.blogspot.com.