Worst in Sports History Chess About the worst performance in the history of the game of chess. THE VERY WORST IN SPORTS CHESS Worst Performance: Joe Hayden, 17, challenged 180 persons to play simultaneous games against him at a shopping center in Cardiff, N.J. in August, 1977. Only 20 showed up, of whom 18 beat him, including Stowell Fulton, 7, who needed only a few moves. Hayden's two wins were against a man who grew tired of waiting between moves and withdrew--and Hayden's own mother.