Tunde Onakoya Launches 70-Hour Chess Marathon in Times Square to Break World Record and Support Homeless Children
New York City – Nigerian chess champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has embarked on an ambitious mission to break the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest chess marathon, playing continuously for 70 hours in New York’s iconic Times Square.
The marathon began on Thursday, drawing a crowd of supporters as Onakoya took his place at the board, aiming to play nonstop—and remain undefeated—for nearly three full days. According to GWR guidelines, participants are allowed only a five-minute break per hour, making the feat as mentally taxing as it is physically demanding.
In a video shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) page, Onakoya revealed the countdown to the start of the challenge, surrounded by enthusiastic fans cheering him on. But the chess icon made clear that his motivation goes far beyond setting a new world record.
“This is not just about chess or breaking records,” he said. “It’s about giving children across Nigeria a chance at education and a better life.”
Onakoya’s efforts are rooted in his non-profit organization Chess in Slums Africa, which uses the game of chess as a tool to educate and empower children in underserved communities. The record attempt is aimed at raising funds to build free schools for homeless children in Nigeria.
This is Onakoya’s second attempt at the title. In April 2024, he and American chess master Shawn Martinez played for 60 hours straight—eclipsing the previous record of 56 hours set by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018. However, the feat was not officially recognized by Guinness World Records.
Instead, the GWR later confirmed a different duo—Norwegian players Odin Blikra Vea and Askild Bryn—as the new official record holders, with a total time of 61 hours, 03 minutes, and 34 seconds.
Determined to make history, Onakoya announced last week that he and Martinez would return to the board with a new goal: an unprecedented 70-hour marathon.
Accompanying him in New York are five children from the Chess in Slums Africa program—young chess prodigies who Onakoya says are living proof that “greatness can come from even the humblest of beginnings.”
Supporters from around the world continue to follow the event online, with many praising the initiative for blending competitive excellence with a powerful humanitarian mission.
As the clock ticks on in Times Square, all eyes are on Tunde Onakoya—not just for the record he hopes to break, but for the lives he continues to inspire.
