Unique Family Simul by the Karácsonyi Siblings in Budapest
On December 28, 2025, Budapest witnessed a truly special chess event. Four siblings from the Karácsonyi family hosted a massive 150-board team simultaneous exhibition. All four players were rated above 2000, making the event even more impressive.
The simul was held in Budapest, Hungary, and attracted huge attention from the local chess community. What made it unique was not just the number of boards, but the way the siblings played together as one team.
The Karácsonyi siblings who led the simul:
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IM Gellért Karácsonyi (2412)
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Kata Karácsonyi (2238), who achieved her third WIM norm in December
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Luca Karácsonyi (2064)
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Bánk Karácsonyi (2107), the youngest member of the group
Instead of playing separately, the siblings shared every board. They played moves in rotation, one after another. This required strong coordination and a deep understanding of each other’s thinking across all 150 games.
Two games were lost by forfeit. The remaining 148 games were played to completion. After nearly six hours of intense chess, the final result was outstanding.
Final results of the simul:
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Wins: 109
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Draws: 22
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Losses: 17
The opponents were not just beginners. Many experienced and strong club players took part in the event. This makes the siblings’ performance even more remarkable.
Kata Karácsonyi, who was Hungary’s top scorer at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, also took part and delivered a strong showing during the simul.
As far as records show, no similar event has ever happened in chess history. Four siblings playing together, sharing every board, facing 150 opponents, and scoring such a dominant result is truly unprecedented.
The event inspired chess-playing families and created great excitement in the Budapest chess scene. Players, organizers, and fans hope this unique family simul will be repeated in the future.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
