Axel Smith’s Ambitious Blindfold Simul: A Chess Challenge for Climate Awareness
Swedish Grandmaster Axel Smith to Attempt Record-Breaking Blindfold Simul for Climate Awareness
Lund, Sweden — Swedish Grandmaster Axel Smith is gearing up for an extraordinary challenge that combines mental endurance with a pressing environmental cause. On Thursday, May 7, Smith will attempt to break the record for the most simultaneous blindfold chess games by playing 49 games at once, all while raising awareness for a climate campaign.
The event will take place in Lund, just outside Malmö, coinciding with the ongoing TePe Sigeman Chess Tournament. Smith aims to surpass the current record held by GM Timur Gareyev, who played 48 blindfold games simultaneously in Las Vegas in 2016.
Smith’s primary motivation extends beyond the chessboard. He is advocating for the Disobedient Referendum, a campaign opposing fossil peat extraction in Sweden. “Global warming is not a distant threat; the collapse is already here,” Smith stated. “This is a way to use chess for something more important. Banning peat extraction is a no-brainer, prioritizing people’s wish for powerful climate policies over the industry’s desire for profit.”
At 40 years old, Smith is not only a grandmaster but also a coach and author known for his influential works on chess improvement, including Pump Up Your Rating and The Woodpecker Method. His impressive marathon personal best of 2:28:47 may come in handy as he prepares for this grueling mental marathon.
Despite his extensive experience in chess, Smith admits he has limited practice with blindfold simuls. “I played 15 games in 2011, which took eight hours and went well (11½-3½),” he recalled. “Apart from that, I have only played a few boards on a couple of occasions.”
The challenge of keeping track of 1,568 pieces for over 24 hours is daunting. To prepare, Smith has developed a unique memory system, associating different images with each board and opening strategy. “For quite a few months, I have rehearsed a memory system with different images for each board, each opening strategy, each square, and each opening the opponent might choose,” he explained.
Smith’s innovative approach includes encoding specific openings with historical references. For example, he likens one opening to Mahatma Gandhi during the Salt March, symbolizing his commitment to the cause.
While the attempt is unlikely to be recognized as an official Guinness World Record due to its format—games will continue online after three hours—Smith remains optimistic. “I guess that makes the simul ineligible,” he admitted, noting that staff will make moves for players who cannot continue due to sleep or work commitments.
The participant pool will also differ from typical elite simuls, with more non-chess players involved, potentially leading to unexpected moves. “I don’t have the same ability as others who have given similar simuls,” Smith confessed. “Nevertheless, on a good day, I feel it should be possible; let’s hope that day is Thursday.”
All games from the simul will be broadcast live on Chess.com, allowing chess enthusiasts worldwide to witness this remarkable event.
As Smith prepares for this monumental challenge, he embodies the spirit of using chess as a platform for change, proving that the game can be a powerful tool for raising awareness about critical global issues.