A RUSSIAN man has been crowned world champion in the novelty sport of chess boxing, a game that requires equal skill at moving pawns and throwing punches. Stripped to the waist, wearing towels around their shoulders and headphones playing the lulling sound of a moving train to drown out the baying crowd, the men played for four minutes. Then off came their reading glasses and on went the gloves and the mouthguards. For three minutes they beat each other and then, when the bell went, the chess board was back in the ring and they picked up the gentlemanly game where they had left off.

A chess boxing match consists of six rounds of chess and five in the ring but it can also end suddenly in knockout or checkmate. Alternatively one of the players can be disqualified for taking too long to make his move in the chess rounds or breaking the boxing rules.

Up until now I didn't think it possible to create a stupider hybrid sport than Biathalon. But compared to chess and boxing, cross country skiing and sharpshooting go together like a horse and carriage. I don't mean to dismiss the idea altogether. I mean, I'd shell out for Pay-per-view to watch Mike Tyson play chess or Viswanathan Anand step into the ring against Wladimir Klitschko. But how entertaining could it possibly be to watch two evenly matched nobodies Chess Boxing each other? Not very, I'd wager.

Honestly are they serious about this, or is it just one of those things a bunch of Europeans come up with when they're sitting around drinking? Like "What do you say we come up with the stupidest sporting event possible and see if we can get talked about on the internet. How about Ultimate Frisbee-Ultimate Fighting? Sumo Horseshoes? Minigolf Rugby? Lawn Dart Fencing? Badminton Kung Fu? Wait I've got it, Chess Boxing. Perfect! Now pass me the Absinthe..."

I give sport two months maximum before they admit it was all a joke and you never hear about it again. And if I'm wrong, I guarantee you someone from Boston is the next World Champion.