“To beat the Guinness World Record for longest chess marathon, Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate Tunde Onakoya played uninterrupted for 60 hours in Times Square.”
In Image: Nigerian chess champion Tunde Onakoya deep in concentration as he attempts to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.
Record-Shattering Half Marathon for Charity
“Tunde Onakoya, a 29-year-old Nigerian chess champion, began the extraordinary sixty-hour chess marathon in Times Square, concluding at 12:40 a.m. on April 20. Onakoya played under the Guinness World Record format, allowing five minutes’ rest for every hour played, and also had to contend with American chess champion Shawn Martinez, who competed against him. During these often harried stops, Onakoya managed to engage — even dance — with the Nigerians and New Yorkers who turned out to support him. “
If Guinness World Records determines that this marathon surpasses the previous record of 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds, Onakoya will be the new world record holder. A cause close to Onakoya’s heart, the marathon was part of a $1 million fund-raising campaign for the education of African children.
Meet Tunde Onakoya; recent record-breaking chess champion dedicated to early education. As well as a test of endurance, his 60-hour marathon in central Times Square was a powerful statement in support of education for children in Africa. The historic initiative to raise $1 million in support of education efforts has garnered the support of everyone from New Yorkers stopping to help and donors from within the Nigerian community. And it has drawn interest from people all over the world.
Going for a Guinness World Record: An Endurance and Purpose Marathon
The Guinness World Record attempt required mental and physical endurance: Tunde Onakoya kept racking up moves in a chess marathon for a good cause. The 29-year-old Nigeria-born chessmaster toppled himself into the heart of Times Square, New York, where he started playing nonstop for 60 hours, all of it in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record of 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds. A multi-donation education fundraiser across Africa This was a huge project that sought to raise $1 million in order to provide education to poor children across the continent. It was also a dramatic gesture meant to stretch his mental and physical limits.
Onakoya played over the course of the marathon against U.S. chess champion Shawn Martinez, adhering to strict rules stipulated by Guinness World Records. The two players were allotted five minutes of respite for every full hour of play, and they often lumped the breaks together so that Onakoya could slip away and mingle with the rowdy fans in the stands. The event became a cultural festival, as Onakoya danced with fans and welcomed the deluge of love from Nigerians and New Yorkers.
This Guinness World Record attempt means more than being best in chess. The initiative is part of a wider push to highlight the need for education for the millions of children across the African continent who do not get the opportunity to learn. Onakoya’s determination to break the record is testament to his dedication to this cause; he uses his platform to educate tourists about the challenges young children in every part of the world face.
If confirmed, Onakoya’s achievement will gain him entry into the Guinness World Records, and also be an inspiration to others that when you have something you care about more than you yourself, you can do what seems impossible.
A Strategy and Resilience World Record
In Image: Tunde Onakoya shares a moment of connection with supporters, blending the intensity of the chess marathon with the joy of community and cultural celebration.
The marathon at Onakoya was started on the 17th April and lasted 58 hours to come a close at 12:40 a.m. Saturday, April 20. The fact that he never stopped playing indicated his determination, even then a mere 28 years old. According to Guinness World Record requirements, there were only five-minute breaks every hour.
Occasionally after long stretches of play Onakoya with the crowds-not people who took group classes and so forth but followers gathered at Times Square-This actually fit in quite nicely because many were there to hearten him on. Davido, the Nigerian musician, was among them and his presence only served to give still more of an air-share it would seem if I may speak English about here!
Onakoya spent the entire marathon playing against American chess champion Shawn Martinez. This grueling two-day match was an excellent demonstration of Onakoya’s strategic mind and mental willpower. Onakoya, to confirm his new marathon time wins the period of at present 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds set by Guinness World Records.
A Purpose Beyond the Game
There were more than Onakoya ‘s ambition to break a Guinness Book entrance record. This action he also saw as symbolizing the help that he wished to give one cause con-close his heart, by enabling young Africans cope with no financial support in being able to study at University and College. Since founding his nonprofit Chess in Slums Africa in 2018, Onakoya has devoted his life to finding ways of using chess to uplift children as candidates for top rung jobs in African inner-city areas. In Africa we want to provide an education for one million kids and disseminate hope. As he often declares, “It is possible to achieve great things from a small place.”
In a successful attempt to this end, there was a 24-hour fundraising chess marathon held by Onakoya and the Countdown Clock began turning.Onakoya’ s Manager Taiwo Adeyemi announced at end of the first 20 hours that over $22,000 was already in hand as a result of this charity effort. Initially aiming to raise $1 million, the online and on-site support at event gave hope that such a lofty goal might possibly be achieved.
A Supporting Wave
For long-distance runner Onakoya, the internet provided a new group of supporters much closer than would a corporation. Then, an African band played at be in Times Square.
Black people standing for miles and miles attended his race to the top as an event of sheer joy, within a distance as far as eye could see. Another new tool was the internet, where many people passed around news bulletins or voiced support for Onakoya.
One of the highlights came for Nigeria’s former Vice President Yemi Os inbajo on X (which was once Twitter) when he said, “Onakoya, congratulations.” He told about the fatherly advice he got: “It doesn’t matter how humble our starting point is–if we work hard then anything can be achieved.”That echoed audience complacency, and demonstrated operational consistency. It was a message that resonated with many people, reaffirming Onakoya’s leadership and role love of life as well as the value of the position of Chairman of China Board.
A Prospective View
The marathon is part of Onakoya’s broader vision for the future of Africa. HT and Rwanda: Is Teacher Training the Answer? Chess in Slum Africa is Onakoya’s response to the reality that change for the better is possible, even in the most dire of surroundings. His nearly 36-hour streak of running was not only about shattering a world record, it was an affirmation that any young person, no matter where they come from, is capable of achieving greatness.
Proceeds from the marathon will bring more chess to under-resourced regions of Africa. With the funds, Onakoya intends to establish additional chess academies in impoverished communities in Nigeria and other African countries. These academies will teach children how to play chess and develop their critical thinking skills and some even provide an education that could lead to a better tomorrow.
A Persistent Journey
A life marked by grit, Onakoya’s trek to Times Square and his shot at the Guinness World Record marks the latest chapter. As a child, Onakoya, who grew up in Nigeria, faced several obstacles, including restricted access to quality education. Chess, in contrast, had given him solace and strength and had instilled in him important lessons about patience, strategy and persistence.
These lessons affected his philosophy of life and his chess work in slums of Africa. Chess can be an engine of positive change, Onakoya said, giving children the tools, he contended, to handle life’s difficulties. He showed this commitment during his marathon, in which he did everything within his own power to help raise awareness of a cause he really cares a lot about.
A Festivity Honoring African Traditions
The chess marathon was also a celebration of African identity and culture. From the music that orgiastically blared in its midst to familiar Africans like Davido who dropped by, the marathon was a pageant of the continent’s diversity and rich culture. Onakoya offered jollof rice, a staple in much of West Africa, to maintain his marathon pace, a nod to his origins.
More than entertainment, this cultural festival also served as an avenue to carry on the culture and heritage of millions of children Chess in Slums Africa intends to impact. Omokoya spoke to the importance and beauty of the African culture, to instil pride in and give confidence to the C.R.I.B supported kids.
Building a Legacy
Tunde Onakoya’s marathon is thus an homage to the power of the heart and the sublty that happens para a visionary man as he awaits verification of his record from Guinness World Records. Whether or not he officially breaks the record, Onakoya has been doing something much more meaningful — shining a light on the plight of millions of African children, and inspiring others to contribute to their education around the world.
The journey for Onakoya has only just begun. He wants to use the money from the Marathon to fund Chess in Slums Africa so more children can participate and be provided with what they need to excel. He is a story of resilience, optimism and “it is possible to do great things from a small place.”
It’s in his 60-hour stint locked away in a marathon of strategic video game play that Onakoya has shone a light for us on the opportunity inherent in every kid, and the power of giving them a chance to learn even in the most aggressive environments. While the world eagerly awaits the official announcement to affirm his record, one thing is certain in the meanwhile: Tunde Onakoya has already made a permanent mark on the Earth and has encouraged so many others to dream about the possibility of excellence regardless of where you come from.
“Ahead of its time, Tunde Onakoya’s bid to beat the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon is not just one about endurance — it’s a narrative born of hope, grit and education’s power to change lives.”