The chess media is buzzing about Lima right now because of the World Record Chess Marathon, organized by WR Chess. Held at the Sheraton Lima from June 25 to 28, 2026, it is built around a simple but slightly mad concept: essentially non-stop chess for roughly 67 hours.

Here is why it's dominating the news cycle and what makes it such a unique spectacle to cover.

The "Marathon" Format

The event isn't just one long tournament; it's a grueling gauntlet of eight separate ranked events stacked back-to-back across four days and nights.

• The Night Shift: The three FIDE-rated Blitz events (5+2 time control) literally run overnight, starting at 11:00 p.m. and going until 9:00 a.m. the next morning.

• The Day Shift: The daytime slots are filled with two 9-round FIDE-rated Rapid tournaments (10+2) and three Bughouse team events.

• Open Access: The entire festival is free to enter and open to players of all ages and nationalities, capped at 400 players per tournament.

The moment one tournament finishes, the venue transitions immediately to the next. The logistics of managing the pairings, arbitrating, and keeping a media broadcast alive through a 3:00 a.m. blitz round are staggering.

The Highlights

Beyond the sheer endurance required from both players and the media team, the festival delivered several major storylines:

• Fausti vs. Jospem: The marquee attraction that kicked off the festival was a six-game exhibition match (2 Rapid, 4 Blitz) between 12-year-old prodigy GM Faustino Oro (the second-youngest GM in history) and local Peruvian hero GM José Martínez Alcántara ("Jospem"). Faustino ultimately won the match 4–2, taking home the $10,000 prize.

• The Grand Prix: Players can enter as many of the eight tournaments as they want. A unified Grand Prix ties all the events together, awarding $18,500 to the top overall endurance scorers out of the massive $100,000 total prize fund.

• Elite Simuls: Across the four days, heavyweights like GM Leinier Dominguez and Peruvian legend GM Julio Granda hosted simultaneous exhibitions, taking on 15 to 25 amateur opponents at once.

It's a completely different beast from a standard classical invitational. The mix of elite showmatches, chaotic 3:00 a.m. blitz rounds, and massive open fields makes for an incredibly dynamic event.