Odin Blikra Vea and Askild Bryn, two Norwegian men, have broken the Guinness World Record (GWR) for longest chess marathon.
In a recent blog post, GWR stated that Blikra Vea and Bryn “earned a place in history” after playing chess for 61 hours, 03 minutes, and 34 seconds.
According to the British reference book, the achievement occurred on June 4, 2024, in Stavanger, Norway.
“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,” it said.
The GWR did not comment on Tunde Onakoya, a Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate who won a 60-hour chess marathon in New York without losing a single game.
On April 17, Onakoya began his record-breaking quest and even played chess with Shawn Martinez, another chess champion. During the effort, he organized a fundraiser to help uneducated children in Africa.
On April 20, the Nigerian exceeded the previous record of 56 hours established by two Norwegians, Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, on November 11, 2018.
GWR is normally expected to review an effort before confirming that a new record has been established on any job.
While Blikra Vea and Bryn’s record of 61 hours is longer than Onakoya’s 60 hours, the British reference book seems to ignore the Nigerian’s attempt.
How long does it take?
The length of time for the application process and then the evidence review for the attempt itself depends on the type of application selected.
The GWR reviews documentation in 12 weeks and tells applicants whether their attempt has been accepted or rejected — that is for standard record attempts. When there are many applications, the waiting time may be longer, at least 16 weeks.
It however remains unclear why the Norwegians, whose attempt was concluded on June 4, were responded to while the GWR has yet to reveal if they accepted or rejected that of Onakoya (April 20).
