Nigerian chess champion Tunde Onakoya breaks world record in 60hr marathon for charity
Tunde Onakoya, a Nigerian chess master and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, has broken the world record for continuous chess play in a bid to raise funds for children's education across Africa.
The marathon attempt, which commenced in New York City's iconic Times Square on April 17, aimed to raise $1 million for children's education initiatives across Africa.
Onakoya, 29, surpassed the previous record of 56 hours, nine minutes, and 37 seconds, set in 2018 by Norwegian players Hallvard Haug Flatebo and Sjur Ferkingstad. Playing against Shawn Martinez, a US chess master, Onakoya adhered to strict guidelines mandating continuous play by two participants for the entire duration. The players were allowed only five minutes of break for every hour of gameplay.
Support for Onakoya's endeavour poured in both online and at the scene, with spectators entertained by African music as the marathon progressed. Despite the nature of the challenge, Onakoya emphasised that the record attempt was "for the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education."
Meanwhile, the Guinness World Record has yet to publicly comment on Onakoya's achievement, as the organization is known to typically take several weeks to verify new records.
Tinubu congratulates Onakoya
However, Onakoya's accomplishment has already sent waves worldwide, drawing praise from notable figures such as Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement, Tinubu congratulated Onakoya for his extraordinary feat, hailing him as a symbol of Nigeria's resilience, self-belief, and ingenuity on the global stage. He commended Onakoya for leveraging his passion for chess to drive positive change, particularly in providing educational opportunities for disadvantaged African children.
He wrote, “I congratulate Tunde Onakoya on setting a new world chess record and sounding the gong of Nigeria's resilience, self-belief, and ingenuity at the square of global acclaim. I celebrate this Nigerian Chess Champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa for his rare feat, but especially for the reason driving this compelling demonstration of character, which is raising funds for African children to learn and find opportunity through chess.”
