Nigerian chess master Tunde Onakoya is currently in the midst of a challenging feat in New York’s Times Square, where he is attempting to break the record for the longest chess marathon. His ultimate goal is to play for 58 consecutive hours and raise $1m for charity, with the funds raised supporting chess education for millions of children.
Onakoya has garnered a strong support system during his marathon challenge, with hundreds of supporters showing up to cheer him on, including popular Nigerian musician Davido. The Nigerian community in New York has rallied behind Onakoya, providing him with music and energizing supplies of traditional Nigerian dishes like jollof rice.
Back in Nigeria, people are watching Onakoya’s progress on Twitch, a video-streaming service. As of 03:00 on Friday New York time, Onakoya had already played for 39 hours and raised over $42,000. With the support of his fans, Onakoya is confident in his ability to break the Guinness World Record of 56 hours, nine minutes and 37 seconds.
Chess holds a special significance for Onakoya as it helped lift him out of poverty while growing up in Lagos. Through his NGO, Chess in Slums Africa, he teaches children from underserved communities the game using it as a tool to aid in their education. Additionally, Onakoya is involved with the US non-profit organization The Gift of Chess which aims to distribute one million chess sets to underserved communities by 2030.