Tunde Onakoya has broken the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest chess marathon.
The Nigerian chess champion achieved the feat on Sunday during his 70-hour marathon in Times Square, New York, alongside his friend Shawn Martinez.
Onakoya, the founder of Chess in Slums Africa, reached 64 hours, surpassing the record of 61 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds set in 2024 by Norwegian players Odin Blikra Vea and Askild Bryn.
RECORD BROKEN! One Board A Million Dreams! 62 Hours ONGOING ❤️ 🇳🇬
with my brother @CoachShawnMar 🇵🇷@chessinslums #70HoursofChessWithTunde#ChessForEducation #GWR2025 pic.twitter.com/g60LJRcLkd
— Tunde Onakoya (@Tunde_OD) April 20, 2025
Though the record was already broken after surpassing the 62-hour mark, Onakoya and Martinez chose to continue playing until they reached the 70-hour goal — a move aimed at drawing more attention to their cause: raising funds to build free schools for homeless children across Africa.
“Doing this for the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education,” Onakoya
While the marathon has been completed, the new record remains subject to official verification and confirmation by the Guinness World Records.
This was not Onakoya’s first attempt at the title. In April 2024, he completed a 60-hour chess marathon, exceeding the previous 56-hour mark set in 2018 by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad. However, that attempt was never officially recognized by GWR.
During his record-setting performance in 2024, the Nigerian community in New York turned out in a show of support, offering traditional meals like jollof rice and music. Nigerian superstar, Davido, also publicly supported him and presented him with a 30BG chain.
Back in Nigeria, Vice President Kashim Shettima commended him, stating that his feat was a symbol of “excellence and resilience that distinguishes Nigerians both locally and internationally.”
Similarly, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, highlighted that the attempt was “a strong testimony to how greatness can come from anywhere.”
That initial effort, which doubled as a $1 million fundraising campaign, helped elevate Onakoya’s Chess in Slums Africa initiative — a movement he says has provided education and lifelong scholarships to over 200 children across Nigeria. The funds raised were also used to distribute one million chess sets to impoverished communities, in partnership with The Gift of Chess.
