Nigerian Man, Tunde Onakoya Breaks Chess Marathon Record

Nigerian Chess Expert, Tunde Onakoya breaks chess marathon record under the bright lights of New York’s Times Square.

After 58 hours of playing, he was still at the board.

Onakoya intends to raise $1 million (£805,000) for charity, which will promote chess education for millions of children.

Hundreds of Nigerians in the city have turned out to support the chess master, including Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Davido.

On Saturday morning, in New York’s renowned Times Square, Onakoya overcame physical agony and tiredness to complete an incredible 60 hours of non-stop chess against NM Shawn Martinez.

Year		Player	Player	Place
2024	60 hours	Tunde Onakoya	Shawn Martinez	New York, U.S.A.
2018	56 hours, 9 minutes	Sjur Ferkingstad	Hallvard Haug Flatebø	Haugesund, Norway
2015	40 hours, 40 minutes	Magne Sagafos	Joachim Berg-Jensen	Stavanger, Norway
2010	40 hours, 20 minutes	Daniel Häussler	Philipp Bergner	Ostfildern, Germany

Guinness has yet to comment publicly or certify the record, which is expected to take weeks, but the chess marathon was broadcast live and received widespread coverage from major media outlets like CNN, the New York Times, the BBC, and the Associated Press.

Onakoya, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, founded Chess in Slums Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated to using chess to help disadvantaged children read and write.

That has become the 29-year-old a role model for millions of Africans as he strives to raise $1 million for children’s education across the continent. With hundreds of millions of social media followers, his moral cause has garnered international attention.

As of Saturday, the organization had raised an additional $110,000 owing to the chess marathon. “60 hours of chess played to fulfill the dreams of millions of children,” Onakoya tweeted on social media.

Hundreds of Nigerians in the city have turned out to support the chess master, including Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Davido.

They supplied music and energized him with authentic Nigerian delicacies, including the cherished national staple, jollof rice.

Back in Nigeria, fans rallied behind Onakoya as they watched him break the record on Twitch, a video-streaming platform.

Supporters wrote remarks on the stream, praising Onakoya as an inspiration.

“Thank you for daring to dream and showing us the levels to which we can all take our brain power to! Well done Tunde! I’m going to pick up my chess board back haha,” one commenter shared.

“Mr Onakoya is a symbol of excellence and resilience that distinguish Nigerians both at home and abroad… Go, make history, and inscribe our name in gold,” Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima posted on X.

“Lagos is rooting for you,” Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu told Onakoya, adding that his attempt was “a powerful testament to how greatness can emerge from anywhere”.

Onakoya, 29, credits chess with saving him from the crushing poverty he experienced growing up in Lagos’ infamous floating slums.

His non-profit, Chess in Slums Africa, teaches the game to children from low-income neighborhoods and assists them with their schooling.

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