Simul Records Broken

A challenge to Collin Madhavan, Mas Hafizul Helmi and all - a record that could be made and broken at national level, Asean, Asian and world....

Iranian's multi-player SIMUL chess record broken

Israeli grandmaster Alik Gershon (L) makes a move during a simultaneous chess game at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv October 21, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Nir Elias

TEL AVIV | Fri Oct 22, 2010 2:55pm IST

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - An Israeli grandmaster broke an Iranian's world record on Friday for simultaneous chess games, beating 454 out of 523 opponents in a packed city plaza.
Alik Gershon, 30, took the Guinness crown following almost 20 straight hours spent pacing between game tables lined across Tel Aviv's Yitzhak Rabin Square.
His 86 percent win rate outstripped former record-holder Morteza Mahjoob of Iran, who last year bested 397 out of 500 chess players taken on at once in Tehran.
"Hopefully all our wars will be on the chessboard," Gershon told Reuters, alluding to hostility between Israel and Iran.
Jack Brockbank, the on-site adjudicator for Guinness World Records, confirmed Gershon's record and predicted a new chess challenge from the Iranians.
"It's quite likely because of all the coverage this event has received," he said.
(Writing by Dan Williams, Editing by Ralph Boulton)