Tunde Onakoya Breaks Chess Marathon World Record.

April 20, 2025

Tunde Onakoya Breaks Chess Marathon World Record.

The world-famous Nigerian chess champion, Tunde Onakoya, has broken the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest chess marathon.

Tunde 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 62 hours, surpassing the record of 61 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds set in 2024 by Norwegian players Odin Blikra Vea and Askild Bryn.

Regardless of crossing the 62-hour threshold, Onakoya and Martinez will continue playing until the 70-hour mark to amplify 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,” he had said.

The Nigerian chess master’s achievement is also subject to verification and confirmation by the GWR.

This isn’t Onakoya’s first attempt; he previously completed a 60-hour chess marathon in April 2024.

The feat surpassed the 56-hour set in 2018 by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad.

But the record wasn’t officially recognized at the time.

Chess in Slums Africa is a non-profit organisation known for using the game as a framework to promote education and raise champions from low-income communities.

Onakoya previously revealed that he grew up in the slums and that playing chess allowed him to discover his potential.