My contest with Wolfram

I have just read the BBC report and it is very favourable. The BBC !! Tim Woolgar is an excellent chessboxer but is also proving to be a very capable promoter. Wolfram and I now stand at one win each which I think is a fair reflection of how closely matched we are. It was honourable of him to give me the rematch and the pleasure I take in the win comes from the fact that he is such a worthy opponent. I think the match with Bob 'The red kite' Innes will be a great clash. My money is on Konrad to be the next world champion at middleweight, and Jamie 'the slice' looked very dangerous. My sights are set on Gianluca

Wolfram is a professional actor but i'm sure Gianluca could teach him a thing or two after watching his theatrics in our last fight. He got me disqualified but it was a hollow victory for the Italian Crybaby and next time it will be different.

Perhaps I should discuss the match itself. I was dissapointed not to get the white pieces, as I had some really sharp stuff up my sleeve. But D4 was fine, was confident Wolfram wouldnt be familiar with the elephant trap (i love that name) or the Cambridge springs. Unfortunately(for me) he continued with 2.e3 and not the Queens Gambit. Months of study went out the window and I went back to basics, moving fast because I was confident with my chess. At the end of the first round I was a knight up with a good position. I planned on swapping the pieces down to a won endgame in the next round.

I planned on using my jab cross combination and my left hook (which i call my 'hell punch') as and when i saw the chance. Wolfram hit me with one very good punch giving me a bloody mouth. He took a count at the end of what i think was my best display of boxing yet. Back to the chess where i was furious to lose a piece to a pin. I was moving fast but these things happen in speedplay even when you haven't been boxing. In fact speedplay chess and heavyweight boxing are both notoriously unpredictable. A few moves later and Wolfram had also blundered, allowing a back row mate.

How does Chessboxing compare to freefighting ? I had great early success in freefighting due to my background as a Judo international. The sport evolved quickly and I didn't evolve with it, training in my hometown when i should have moved to a full time training camp. I fought some of the best in the world-and lost. I learnt from the experience and train outside my comfort zone as a Chessboxer. There has been a warmth and good humour at Chessboxing events that has really impressed me. I don't want to disrespect freefighting, it put me on tv and brought me recognition and er... women.. but I see my future very much in Chessboxing.