Nigerian chess master, and the founder of Chess in slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has etched his name in gold after setting a new Guinness World record of completing a 64-hour chess marathon at the Time Square in New York City on Sunday.
Onakoya achieved the feat alongside his friend Shawn Martinez by surpassing the previous record of 61 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds set by the Norwegian duo Odin Blikra Vea, and Askild Bryn in June 2024.
The Chess Marathon started at 10 a.m. local time on Thursday, April 17, and concluded around 11 am on Sunday, April 20.
This is the second time Onakoya is attempting the record. In April 2024, he completed a 60-hour session to overtake the previous 56-hour record set in 2018 by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad.
However, two months after the achievement was short-lived as two Norwegian players set a new record of 61 hours, 3 minutes and 34 seconds in June 2024.
Onakoya expressed delight after surpassing the current record on X on Sunday.
He wrote: “For all the dreamers! We’ve officially BROKEN THE RECORD with my brother,”
After surpassing the 50-hour mark, Onakoya revealed that his target was not only to set a new record but to also build the biggest preschool in Africa for homeless children.
He said: If you had 70 hours to change the world, what would you do? Sometimes the world won’t hand you 70 hours on a golden platter. Sometimes, you have to carve it out of your own breath, your own becoming. Not for applause. Not for records. But for the quiet dreamers who need to see someone leap—so they know it’s possible to fly.
“It’s been over 50 hours of chess beneath the lights of Times Square.Every move, every hour, a love letter to children who’ve never known the luxury of a second chance. If your heart has ever burned for something bigger than yourself, come find us. Stand with us.
“Proceeds from my limited edition chess sets will go directly towards our fundraising goal: to build a tuition-free school for homeless children. This is a dream I’ve carried for years. Because no child should ever have their childhood sacrificed for survival. No dream should be buried beneath the weight of poverty.
“We’re not just doing this for ourselves—we’re doing it for a million dreams. We want to build the biggest preschool in Africa for homeless children.
“The hardest part isn’t staying awake for three days—because a million dreams will do that. But now, more than ever, we need everyone’s support. If you’re in New York, show up at Times Square. Come support us. Help us inspire the world and show the world that it is indeed possible to do great things from a small place.
“My dream is to inspire the world and raise support to build the biggest free school for homeless children in Nigeria,”
Onakoya learned to play chess at a barber’s shop in a slum in Ikorodu, Lagos, where he grew up.
In September 2018, Chess in Slums Africa started as a volunteer driven non-profit organization that aims to empower young ones in impoverished communities through chess.
Chess in Slums Africa has trained over 200 children and provided lifelong scholarships for 20 of them.
