Former basketball star Derrick Rose takes part in a Freestyle Chess tournament in July. Lennart Ootes/Freestyle Chess

On the face of it, playing chess and competing in the NBA couldn’t be further apart.

One requires monk-like levels of silent concentration – particularly in classical chess – while the other demands physical dominance, peak athleticism and the ability to stay composed in a frenzied atmosphere.

But it seems there is more that links the two sports than initially meets the eye – just ask NBA legend Derrick Rose .

The 2011 NBA MVP has been leading a new and unlikely collaboration between the worlds of chess and professional basketball.

Rose recently teamed up with Magnus Carlsen ’s Freestyle Chess to host a tournament, which involved top names from both disciplin

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