Mexico sets world record for simultaneous chess

Associated Press

MEXICO CITY - Thousands of chess players set a new world record Saturday for simultaneous chess matches at a public park in central Mexico, a Guinness World Records representative announced.

The total of 12,388 competitors participated to beat the previous record for simultaneous chess matches set in Havana in 2002 with 11,320 players.

The record-setting crowd turned out on a cloudy, windy morning in Pachuca, 100 kilometres northeast of Mexico City, to earn a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Children made up about 80 per cent of the players, said Rafael Hernandez, an organizer of the mass chess gathering.

A knowledge of the rules of chess was the only requirement to participate, while some players took on dozens of opponents at a time by rotating among chess boards.

Guinness World Records representative Stuart Claxton announced the awards, noting Mexico also has produced the world's biggest batch of guacamole and the tallest cactus.