Carlsen sets NEW RECORD for highest performance

The rampage of Carlsen became clear after he started with 5,0/5. His CPR (a measurement more reliable than TPR, read about it here) then jumped over 3000. He then continued with 7,0/7 on Easter bringing the CPR to 3094. With 8,0/8 he reached 3122 CPR.

With the victory against Keymer in the last round, Carlsen completes the event with 9,0/9 and CPR of 3153! That is the highest mark of modern history, passing the performance of Caruana in Sinquefield Cup 2014.

This is the second chess record of the week, after Tunde Onakoya and Shawn Martinez completed playing chess for 64 hours

Here is the all times best CPR performance list by Dr. Mehmet Ismail before Grenke 2025

The CPR before 1972 are based on only estimated chessmetrics ratings. The official Elo best ones are Carlsen and then Caruana. Dr Mehmet Ismail adds that the “perfect score performance rating” is 3191 (that is the CPR without considering the lowest rated player such as the one of 2227)

Chess speaks for itself

While Niemann’s appearance after 12 days of radio silence was the key motif of the first rounds, chess spoke for itself and Carlsen’s performance acted like a magnet for all media covering the event.

Niemann himself finished with a lower than expected score, but he was followed by a team of Netflix, who are shooting yet another episode of Netflix UNTOLD 2025 – Carlsen – Niemann story. This will be an ongoing story, here is a timeline of the events so far:

05.04. Norwegian TV reports that Niemann is withdrawing after he was informed about anti-cheating
05.04 Breaking: Hans Niemann withdraws from Freestyle Chess Paris 2025 (rolling updates)
06.04 Reactions to Hans Niemann withdrawing from Paris Freestyle Chess 2025
06.04 Chess Song: Disappearing stars (Hans Niemann & Alireza Firouza) #TweetOftheDay
06.04 The organizer of Freestyle Chess Paris comments on the withdraw of Hans Niemann
17.04 Hans Niemann shows at round 1 of Grenke Chess after 12 days radio silence
17.04. Round 1 pairings of Grenke with Hans Niemann playing
19.04 Interview with Hans Niemann at Grenke

More about Grenke Chess 2025

There will be more coverage of Grenke, with exclusive stories and news coming in the Chessdom Newsletter, that is scheduled to launch THIS week. It is FREE and you will get it daily in the mailbox, signup with your email in the form below

More about Grenke Live games / Information Interviews Rasmus Svane about the secret to finding the best first move in Freestyle chess / Chess speaks for itself, with Hans Niemann at Grenke / Alexander Grischuk: “I prefer blitz, rapid of freestyle” Chess Song No Foolin’ This Time (Hans Niemann)

Final standings of Grenke Chess Freestyle 2025

The record attempt starts April 17 and Chessdom will cover the event live at this page (refresh for the latest info, coverage starts soon). The Tunde Onakoya will be part of the FIRST edition of the Chessdom newsletter, that is scheduled to start next week. Signup for free in the form below

20.04.2025 12:00, New York

The record is official! Tunde Onakoya says, “We did the impossible and gave the world something new to believe in. Official record holders of the Longest Chess Marathon for 64 hours. We did it!”

20.04.2025 03:00, New York

Record broken! Tunde Onakoya and Shawn Martinez have played 62 hours of chess non-stop, a record marathon!

19.04.2025 13:00, New York

Two full days of chess! What Tunde Onakoya is doing is tremendous!

19.04.2025 10:00, New York

Now it is the 45 hours mark for the record attempt of Tunde Onakoya

18.04.2025 19:00, New York

The 30 hour mark of the world chess record is here!

18.04.2025 16:00, New York

It is 27 hours!

18.04.2025 13:00, New York

24 hours! A full day of chess by Tunde Onakoya. 70 hours is the target

09:00, New York

20 hours mark! 50 to go! Tunde says, “It’s about the child who never got a seat at the table. The ones who never got to dream beyond survival. Every move I make is for them. This is more than a Guinness World Record attempt — It’s a love letter to the forgotten. A dream unfolding in real time. We’re raising $1,000,000 to build a tuition-free school for homeless children. A home for learning, healing, and second chances. Last year, we made history. This year, we’re building legacy. If you’re in New York, come stand with us. St. Luke’s Theater, 308 West 46th Street. We need volunteers. Timekeepers. Storytellers. Dreamers. Anyone who believes in what we’re building.”

01:00, New York

Half a day of chess! Tunde Onakoya is now at the 12 hour mark!

23:00, New York

Tunde Onakoya crosses the 10 hours mark in his world record attempt for a chess marathon. No sign of tiredness!

18:00, New York

It’s been five hours now of the chess record marathon of Tunde Onakoya

17:00, New York

It’s been four hours since Tunde Onakoya started his record attempt. Tunde is in good spirits, the supporters around him too! Their task is not easier, they have to cheer for 70 hours, a record of its own!

16:15, New York

Three hours into the record – picture by The Gift of Chess

14:20, New York

A lovely promotion for chess, as Yunde Onakoya continues his record attempt

11:21, New York

This is it! The record attempt of Tunde Onakoya has begun!

11:00, New York

Here are the main actors of the day, or better said of the next 70 hours, ready on stage – Times Square, New York!

08:25, New York

Tunde Onakoya is ready for the record attempt! Joining Tunde Onakoya on this mission is fellow chess coach and US National Master, Shawn Martinez.

This week will see another record in the making, as Tunde Onakoya will make an attempt for longest chess marathon. Chessdom will be covering the record breaking marathon in detail. As with his previous record-breaking run, the goal is much bigger than the game itself. Tunde hopes to inspire people around the world and rally support to build the largest free school for homeless children in Nigeria. He’s also extended an open invitation to every chess player in New York City to come and challenge them in Times Square. See the Tunde Onakoya record event page here

In April 2024, Tunde played chess for 60 hours straight in Times Square, New York, smashing the previous record and raising funds for children’s education across Africa. He initially set out to play for 58 hours but pushed himself to 60 in the hope of raising $1 million for out-of-school children.

In June 2024, the record has been broken by Askild Bryn and Odin Blikra Vea (both Norway) in Stavanger, Norway. Askild Bryn and Odin Blikra Vea earned a place in history after playing chess for 61 hours, 03 minutes, and 34 seconds. 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 former world champion (Magnus Carlsen) 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 new record attempt by Tunde Onakoya

Joining Tunde Onakoya on this mission is fellow chess coach and US National Master, Shawn Martinez. The dates for the record are April 17-20, 2025 and Chessdom.com will be following closely the event.

As with his previous record-breaking run, the goal is much bigger than the game itself. Tunde hopes to inspire people around the world and rally support to build the largest free school for homeless children in Nigeria. He’s also extended an open invitation to every chess player in New York City to come and challenge them in Times Square.

Bjorn Thorfinnsson asks, “Is that a possible age difference world record in a classical game?”

More: All #TweetOftheDay posts here