Guinness World Record: Tunde Onakoya plays for 60 hours in Times Square, breaking marathon record
Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate Tunde Onakoya has achieved a remarkable feat by breaking the record for the longest chess marathon, playing for an astounding 60 hours straight in New York City’s Times Square.
Although Guinness World Records has yet to confirm Onakoya’s attempt, which can sometimes take weeks, many Nigerians already consider the 29-year-old a national hero.
Onakoya's goal is to raise $1 million for a charity supporting education for children across Africa. Originally aiming for 58 hours, he surpassed expectations by hitting the 60-hour mark in the early hours of Saturday morning, beating the previous record of 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds set in 2018.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) to announce his intention to continue playing, Onakoya said, “We’re pushing to 60 hours, guys. We’re not stopping yet. Let’s keep going. We have a fundraising goal to meet for the education of African children around the world. This is our why - the reason we are doing this.”
His charity, Chess in Slums Africa, founded in 2018, aims to educate 1 million children in slum communities across the continent.
Playing against US chess champion Shawn Martinez, Onakoya won every game, following Guinness World Record guidelines requiring continuous play by two players for the duration of the attempt.
Fueled by Nigerian jollof rice, Afrobeats music, and global support, Onakoya received cheers from Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Davido and singer Adekunle Gold. Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu praised him online, commending his resilience, self-belief, and dedication to raising funds for African children.
The match garnered significant attention in Nigeria, with watch parties and digital billboards across Lagos, the country’s largest city.
Onakoya’s recent achievements include a viral performance at the Digital–Life – Design conference in Berlin, where he played simultaneous matches against 10 players, including Bulgarian scientist and politician Solomon Passy. He also serves on the board of The Gift of Chess, aiming to distribute one million chess sets worldwide by 2030.
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