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Arik Gershon breaks Guinness record, Tel Aviv Israel

Alik Gershon from Israel took the Guinness record for simultaneous chess games from the Jewish state’s arch-foe Iran today after a marathon 19-hour match against 523 players.

Gershon, 30, started playing Thursday and finished in the earliy hours of Friday morning. Winning 454 of the matches, losing 11 and drawing in 58.

523 games played in less than 24 hours

In order to beat the Iranian record, he needed to win at least 80% to seal the record, which previously stood at 500 simultaneous games.

Before the opening move, said Gershon, who was aware of the unique opportunity, “Hopefully this is the only war we are going to have with this enemy, ever,” Gershon said. He also noted the game’s ancient origins in Persia – now Iran.

“Taking the record from an Iranian in a game that was invented by Iran – it’s going to be even sweeter,” he said as his record attempt was getting under way Thursday.

A Guinness representative confirmed the new record.

At the end of the marathon Gershon was asked what he is planning next. And he replied with a sigh “I’m going to try and break the Guinness record in sleeping….”