Norwegian Duo Surpass 61 Hours, Smash Record For Longest Chess Marathon

After an intense 61-hour blitz marathon, Norwegian chess enthusiasts Askild Bryn and CM Odin Blikra Vea have shattered the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ record for the Longest Chess Marathon.

In a stunning display of endurance and mental fortitude, and after playing a total of 383 five-minute blitz games, the record was officially confirmed at 10 p.m. local time in Stavanger, Norway.

The new record for the Longest Chess Marathon is 61 hours, three minutes, and 34 seconds. Every single move of the match was streamed live by Chess.com.

Carl Saville, Guinness World Records Official Adjudicator, lauded the effort as "one of the most well-prepared records" he had overseen in his 15-year tenure. He declared: "You are officially amazing, congratulations!"

When asked by Chess.com's CCO Daniel Rensch whether there were moments of doubts, Blikra Vea admitted: "We didn't have serious doubts, but we kind of struggled. Our motivation was top-notch, but it wasn't easy."

We didn't have serious doubts, but we kind of struggled. Our motivation was top-notch, but it wasn't easy.

—Odin Blikra Vea

At one point, Blikra Vea even hallucinated, perceiving the chess board as "turning," which led him to twist his head to see the pieces correctly.

Bryn said: "I was never in doubt that Odin would say 'I give up, I don't want to do this any longer.' I think he felt the same about me. That helped us from the first hour. Last night was really tough, especially. We always said we would take one hour and one break at a time, now we're here 61 hours later."

Players were allowed five-minute breaks per hour, which they could accumulate for up to 30 minutes every six hours. Bryn and Blikra Vea used these opportunities for power-naps to sustain their marathon.

Blikra Vea revealed that they felt confident about breaking the record after their last power nap on the final morning: "It was a lot harder than we thought, but if we are coming to the last day, we know we are not going to stop."

Bryn (FIDE Blitz 2129) and Blikra Vea (FIDE Blitz 2123) are hosts of the popular Norwegian chess podcast Sjakksnakk ("Chess Chat"), where they've frequently had their close friend GM Magnus Carlsen as a guest.

The former world champion regularly visited them throughout the attempt, as he did when the record was secured. "I am really proud of them. I honestly had my doubts if they were gonna make it, but they were always very serious about it and they prepared very well," Carlsen said.

The 383rd game ended in a 52-move draw with accuracy levels of 71.9 and 70.1. Not bad for the players who had been awake for 61 hours. 

Carlsen expressed his admiration: "I am really impressed in their effort in trying to play well. I know this was the last game, but the last game was pretty good. So I think it was overall extremely impressive."

Magnus Carlsen is proud of his best friends Askild and Odin for breaking the Guinness World Record for LONGEST CHESS MARATHON, playing blitz chess for 61 consecutive hours! 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/hfR6vVrDku

— Sjakksnakk (@sjakksnakk) June 4, 2024

The former record for the Longest Chess Marathon was held by Norwegian FM Sjur Ferkingstad and Hallvard Haug Flatebo who played for 56 hours and 9 minutes in Haugesund, Norway in 2018. 

Nigerian chess player Tunde Onakoya surpassed that mark in New York's iconic Times Square in April, lasting 60 hours, but Guinness World Records has not yet approved that record. Bryn and Blikra Vea aimed to exceed that mark.

Saville noted the strict guidelines they followed:

• Standard equipment within FIDE rules
• Immediate setup of a new game after one ends
• Adherence to the spirit of the rules of chess
• No prolonged discussions to gain rest
• Continuous play by the same two players

Speaking to Chess.com last month, Bryn and Blikra Vea said the idea of setting a new record appeared a year ago. Their preparation included one match that lasted 28 hours, and several marathon blitz events with more than 40 games. 

All meals, rests, and naps were carefully planned in order to maximize effect. They also frequently received massages, and had a team check their pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. A total of 22 witnesses, with at least two present at all times, oversaw the attempt. 

"It will be a completely different achievement, one that could last forever. It's a record we could keep for life," Bryn said.

The two also used the attempt as an opportunity to raise funds for charity. Currently, a total of $6,600 has been raised for breast cancer research.

Bryn won the match 208-175. When asked about a potential rematch, Blikra Vea joked: "It has to be in classical. I am disappointed with myself, but I am also glad for Askild."

You can watch the last minutes of the match and the ceremony here: