From September 23-28, 2025, the city of Loznica, Serbia, became the world capital of one of the most unique sports on the planet: CHESSBOXING. Outpost Chess was proud to be an official sponsor of the ChessBoxing World Championship 2025, a historic event that brought together athletes from across the globe for a spectacular display of both brains and brawn.
Outpost Chess: Driving Innovation in Sports
As part of our sponsorship, Outpost Chess handled registrations and payments directly through our platform, showcasing how digital tools can power even the most complex international tournaments.
Our CEO, WIM Lena Govedarica, also played a central role as a commentator of the chess portion, joined by former chessboxing champion Karl “Ouch.” Meanwhile, the boxing rounds were electrifyingly narrated by Matt Thomas, whose passion and intensity nearly cost him his voice!
Although Lena couldn’t attend the entire championship because she was competing in the Serbian Women’s First League with our chess club Paraćin–Outpost Chess, her Day 3 commentary added valuable insight into the chess side of this hybrid sport. You can rewatch her appearance here: Day 3 Stream.
Global Competition in Loznica (Lagator hall)
The ChessBoxing World Championship 2025 welcomed competitors from 25 countries, including Argentina, Azerbaijan, Canada, Germany, France, India, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, USA and many more.
Fighters were divided into multiple weight classes f.e. :
- Juniors: 54kg–84kg
- Men (classic): 57kg–79kg
- Women (light): 50kg–70kg
- Men (light): 60kg–+90kg
- Masters (classic): 61kg–92kg
Each category crowned its own world champion, bringing new talent and international prestige to this hybrid discipline.
Serbia Shines with Historic Gold Medals
As host nation, Serbia competed for the very first time and the results were historic.
🥇 Horvat Gabor made history as the first Serbian world champion in chessboxing, defeating American Edward Green in the final of the under-57kg category.
🥇 Miljan Savić emerged as one of the tournament’s brightest stars. In the semifinals, he stopped FM Kirill Chuvakin (Estonia) with a technical knockout, and in the final of the 79kg division, he defeated David Hampl (Czech Republic) with another TKO in the third round. Savić was also named one of the biggest revelations of the year in world chessboxing.
These triumphs marked a milestone for Serbia in both chess and boxing history.
Outpost Chess Champions
We are especially proud to celebrate: James Canty III, a streamer, FIDE Master, and Outposter, who won gold in the heavyweight division with a checkmate on the board. 🏆♟️
This victory perfectly embodies the spirit of Outpost Chess: combining skill, creativity, and the courage to take on new challenges.
Team Results
Beyond individual medals, national teams also fought for prestige:
- Russia 🇷🇺 - Best team of the Championship
- USA 🇺🇸 - Second place
- France 🇫🇷 - Third place
How to Watch
Couldn’t attend in person? Audiences followed the action live on TV Arena Fight and Chess.com’s Chess TV, and full replays are still available on Matt Thomas’s YouTube channel.
Looking Ahead
The ChessBoxing World Championship 2025 proved that this hybrid sport has a growing future, and Serbia delivered a fantastic debut as host nation with the support of the Boxing federation of Serbia and Serbian Chess Federation. Outpost Chess was thrilled to be part of it, supporting athletes and bringing our innovative platform to the global stage.
We can’t wait to see where chessboxing goes next, and wherever it lands, you can be sure Outpost Chess will be there to support it.
What Is Chessboxing?
For those hearing about it for the first time, chessboxing is a hybrid sport combining alternate rounds of chess and boxing. The match begins with a 4-minute blitz game at the chessboard, followed by a 3-minute round in the ring. Players wear noise-cancelling headphones during chess to avoid hearing commentary or outside help.
This cycle repeats for up to 11 rounds (6 chess + 5 boxing). Victory can come in multiple ways: checkmate, flag fall on the chess clock, knockout, technical knockout, or throwing in the towel.
It’s a thrilling sport where mental strategy meets physical strength, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats.
Explore More with Outpost Chess
Outpost Chess is not just about tournaments. We connect chess players, clubs, arbiters, organizers, and even hybrid sports fans in one place. Whether it’s 1v1 matches for real prizes, team leagues, or global competitions, Outpost is building the future of chess online and offline.
👉 Learn more at www.outpostchess.com
Here are some more pictures from the event:
