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On September 28, 2023, YouTuber "Ludwig" Ahgren took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the cancelation of this year's Mogul Chessboxing event. As the name suggests, "Chessboxing" is an amalgamation of chess and boxing, with players competing in a rapid-fire round of both sports. The winner is announced when one participant wins at least one of the sports.
In a social media post, Ludwig expressed his dismay over canceling the special event, calling it the "biggest failure" of his career. The Los Angeles-based personality added that the situation has inspired him to be the "best creator" in the coming year.
He tweeted:
"I'm super bummed to announce that chessboxing will not be happening this year. This is definitely the biggest failure of my career but has motivated me to be the best creator I can be in 2024."
"I don't like if it's just the same thing" - Ludwig explains why he canceled this year's Chessboxing event
Ludwig hosted a brief livestream on September 28, 2023, during which he explained why he canceled Chessboxing 2023. He stated that he did not want to be "known for one thing" and elaborated:
"I've always hated and I think this is just a human thing - being known for one thing. I've always resented the idea that I would be known for one thing. I want to do multiple things. I don't want to be the 'Chessboxing guy.' I don't want to be the 'really good gamer guy.' I don't want to be the 'good hair guy.' So, I've gotten rid of all three of those in the past year."
Timestamp: 11:45
Calling Chessboxing a "very cool event," the 28-year-old claimed that the tournament had not yet reached its "peak" and that there was still room for improvement. He added that he was willing to do it again if it could be made "better than before":
"Chessboxing was a very cool event. It was not at its peak, right? There was still room to grow. I'm down to do an event again, if there's a way to iterate on it and make it better than before. I don't like it if it's just the same thing."
Ludwig then revealed that he had a "big idea" about hosting this year's canceled Chessboxing event in Las Vegas:
"Chessboxing, I do know how to make it better. And, the first thing that came to my mind was, 'Well, how about we take this s**t to Las f**king Vegas, baby?' That was my big idea. How do you make Chessboxing bigger? Well, you get some bigger and better fighters. You get some of the best Chess players in the world, maybe to help promote it. And then, you go to Las Vegas - the fighting capital of the world."
Fans react to the streamer's announcement
Ludwig's announcement has received a lot of attention on X, with numerous prominent internet personalities sharing their thoughts. Here's a snapshot of some pertinent ones:
Timestamp: 49:15
During the same livestream, Ludwig also announced that he would soon be a part of "one of the biggest events" of his life. While he did not provide further details, he told the community that he would make an official announcement about it next week.
