Diving Chess: The Next Big Thing in Hybrid Sports

INTRODUCTION

Chess is a demanding game that challenges your mind, requiring a sharp intellect, endurance, and the ability to think strategically over long periods. It’s a tough yet exhilarating challenge to engage in.

Recently, a new trend has emerged: chess hybrid sports. These intriguing combinations of chess with physically demanding sports create entirely new, challenging, and entertaining games. These hybrids add an extra layer of difficulty to the already complex game of chess.

The most well-known chess hybrid is chessboxing, a sport where participants alternate between rounds of chess and boxing. While chessboxing has been around for a while, it has recently gained significant attention.

However, chessboxing is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to chess hybrids played at a professional level. In this blog, I introduce you to diving chess, an innovative sport where chess is played underwater.

HOW IT BEGAN

Since 1997, the Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO) has been held annually in England. This event brings together some of the world’s best players in various mind sports, allowing them to compete head-to-head. The MSO features games like poker, Scrabble, speedcubing, and of course, chess. It’s essentially the Olympics for mental sports.

Among the many competitors over the years is Etan Ilfeld, a man of diverse talents. Not only is he a successful entrepreneur, but he’s also a master of numerous mental sports. Etan is a USCF National Master in chess, winner of the 2010 Amateur Poker World Championship at the MSO, and more recently, a participant in the 2023 Backgammon World Championships. His impressive achievements in the world of mind sports led to his role as the chief organizer of the MSO and a leader within the Mind Sports Organisation (UK).

In 2012, Etan came up with a bright idea and, true to his entrepreneurial spirit, quickly turned it into reality.

His idea was diving chess, a sport that challenges both mental acuity and lung capacity. Inspired by chessboxing, Etan loved the concept of merging physical activity with chess but felt that chessboxing focused too much on the physical aspect. He envisioned a sport where chess remained the core, but the added physical challenge would make it even more difficult. And so, diving chess was born.

In 2013, diving chess was introduced as part of the Mind Sports Olympiad lineup. Since then, the Diving Chess World Championship has been held annually (with the exception of the COVID-19 years) and remains a staple of the MSO.

HOW IT WORKS

Diving chess matches take place in a swimming pool between two players. They alternate diving underwater to assess the chessboard and make their move. Once a move is made, the player resurfaces, and their opponent immediately dives down to make their move. Victory is achieved in the same way as a regular chess game—by resignation or checkmate.

The physical challenge lies in staying underwater while holding your breath until a move is made, all while coping with the often chilly pool temperatures. Players have little time to catch their breath, as their opponent quickly dives in to make their move right after.

If a player surfaces without making a move, they receive a warning. Multiple warnings or a lack of valid excuses for resurfacing early can lead to forfeiture of the game.

The pools used for diving chess are typically 4-5 feet deep. The chessboards and pieces are weighted and magnetic to prevent them from floating. Players are only allowed to wear goggles and a swimsuit—no wetsuits, snorkels, or other aids are permitted.

THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS

Like any sport, diving chess has its star players, and despite being a relatively new sport, it’s no exception. Several major diving chess tournaments are held across Europe each year, featuring some of the world’s top players. Here are a few who have emerged as the best in the field.

Michal Mazurkiewicz

The current Diving Chess World Champion, Michal Mazurkiewicz, successfully defended his title in August 2023 after also winning in 2022. He’s firmly established himself as the dominant force in diving chess.

But Michal’s achievements go beyond his back-to-back world titles. In April of this year, he set a world record by completing a large-scale chess simul underwater, winning over 80% of the games. He played against 16 opponents simultaneously and finished with 12 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss (the loss being to International Master Piotr Brodowski).

Michal is also a skilled standard chess player, holding the title of Candidate Master with a FIDE rating of 2224. Though not very active in classical chess recently, he made a remarkable comeback by winning the 2024 Salento Open.

Sipke Ernst & Zyon Kollen

Another prominent event is the Dutch Diving Chess Championship, held annually as part of the Chess Festival Groningen. The inaugural 2022 championship was won by Dutch grandmaster Sipke Ernst, who secured victory by drawing his final game against FIDE Master Zyon Kollen. Sipke is well-known in the chess community, notably as Magnus Carlsen’s opponent in the infamous Immortal Game of 2004.

The 2023 edition of the Dutch Diving Chess Championship featured a thrilling playoff for first place between Ernst and Kollen. This time, Zyon Kollen emerged victorious, claiming the title in a close finish. Their rivalry is one to watch in the future!

Etan Ilfeld

Yes, you read that right—Etan Ilfeld not only invented diving chess but is also a top competitor. He has consistently ranked in the top three at the Diving Chess World Championship, winning silver five times and gold in both 2016 and 2017. It seems there’s nothing Etan isn’t good at!

CONCLUSION

Diving chess is a truly unique and fascinating hybrid sport, and I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to introduce it to you. Writing this blog has been a learning experience, and I hope it’s been the same for you.

If you have any additional information or corrections, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

That’s all for now—see you next time!