Chess master Tunde Onakoya has set his sights on breaking the record for the longest chess marathon in Times Square, New York. He plans to play for a staggering 58 consecutive hours and raise $1 million for charity in the process, supporting chess education for children.
With a crowd of hundreds of supporters cheering him on, including Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido, the Nigerian community in New York is rallied behind Onakoya. They provided him with music and energizing supplies of classic Nigerian dishes like jollof rice.
Onakoya’s attempt to break the record is being watched by thousands of people in Nigeria via Twitch. By 03:00 on Friday New York time, he had already played for 39 hours and raised over $42,000. He was determined to continue playing until at least 20:00 on Friday, surpassing the Guinness World Record of 56 hours, nine minutes, and 37 seconds.
Onakoya is passionate about using chess as a tool to help children escape poverty in underprivileged communities. He runs an NGO called Chess in Slums Africa that teaches chess to children in needy communities. He is also a board member of The Gift of Chess, a US non-profit that aims to distribute one million chess sets to underserved communities by 2030.
As he continues his marathon journey, Onakoya remains committed to his goal and his passion for giving back to society through chess education.
