Tunde Onakoya is on the brink of accomplishing yet another groundbreaking achievement — this time, he’s set his sights on breaking the record for the longest marathon chess match, aiming for 70 hours. He won’t embark on this journey solo; he’s teaming up with fellow chess instructor and US National Master, Shawn Martinez.
You might recall that back in April 2024, Tunde engaged in a relentless 60-hour chess session in Times Square, New York, shattering the earlier record and raising essential funds for children’s education across Africa. His original target was 58 hours, but he pushed his limits to 60, striving to gather $1 million for children who are out of school.
Since then, two players from Norway have eclipsed that record with a 61-hour performance, and now, Tunde and Shawn are poised to take back the title, with their endeavor set for April 17th to 20th.
What adds to the inspiration of this attempt is that Tunde will be accompanied each day by five children from Chess in Slums Africa, who, in his own words, “have demonstrated to all of us that it is possible to achieve remarkable things from modest beginnings.” The children will rotate in for a few hours on a daily basis to join the marathon.
As with his previous record-breaking endeavor, the ambition extends far beyond the game itself. Tunde aims to motivate people globally and gather support to create the largest free educational institution for homeless children in Nigeria. An open invitation has also been extended to all chess players in New York City to come and challenge them in Times Square.