PODCAST EP124: Jack ‘The Reaper’ Sheard

Subscribe: RSS

OFFICIAL CHESSBOXING MERCHANDISE | Get you official chessboxing merch for Christmas HERE!

“Like Geoffrey Dama squeezing a fish in the corner of the ring”, that is how cool Jack was under pressure during Oktoberfist 23. The podcast catches up with academic Jack Sheard after his victory agains Oliver Ye.

Negligence in cricket, Jack is re-training as a solicitor. If you hit a dinger what happens if you damage someone’s property or hit someone? Other life choices include how and why Jack purchased a cape. Where better than to wear the cape along with his fantastic moustache.

Jack wanted to play a safe opening and this allowed him to feel his way into the chess. On the boxing however Jack felt Oliver was nervous and therefore came out aggressively in the boxing and hold the centre. Jack’s dominance slipped in the first round with a slip of his feet leaving him on the canvas. Jack’s high guard worked well, Oliver for some reason seemed reticent to go to the body until the last round of boxing. Jack’s stance reminded Matthew Coldwell of a secretary bird with his high guard and upright body position.

Jack’s discovered attack gave him a bishop advantage following a queen exchange. Then it looked like Oliver had allowed Jack to trap his rook behind Jack’s pawn structure but an inspired bishop cover allowed Ye to trade rooks with a bishop fork rather than go a rook down.

Jack volunteers with chess in prisons and this is how Jack discovered chessboxing while working with chessboxing legend Matt Read. Chess in prisons is a charity that teaches chess to inmate and Jack was able to put together a team from prison to compete in the International Prison Chess Competition. Many of those involved in this charitable venture where at the event to support Jack and Matt – you can support chess in schools and communities HERE.

The second round of boxing saw jack move into the boxing with confidence knowing that he as a piece up; however, Ye had other ideas and came out guns blazing for the first 30 second which seemed to jack like an eternity. Shout and tributes to Ollie who never stopped fighting even though he was a piece down which he eventually recovered in the end game. Jack was a little careless, although arguably Ollie’s boxing performance lead to Jack’s blunder losing his bishop and the advantage than went with it. Oliver pushed Jack all the way and eventually went down by checkmate.

The pod reflects on bout 3 with Dele Martins celebrating his check mate too early – what showman. The highlight of the show was the final bout, heavyweight – the word was that it was a foregone conclusion but Matt Coldwell had other ideas.

A big thank you and shout out to Jake Cutting who described Jack as, “Like Geoffrey Dama squeezing a fish in the corner of the ring” – he was so calm. Shout out to Taylor for her support during the bout as well as everyone at Chessboxing Nation.

Christmas drinks on the 2nd of December at The Shaftesbury Tavern at 3pm. 20% discount off our merch with this LINK.

Image by Pawel Gawronski

Subscribe to our Youtube channel and watch all the fights: https://www.youtube.com/chessboxing

Chessboxing Classes: https://chessboxingnation.com/classes

Get your tickets for our next show HERE.