Nigerian Master Plays Chess for 58 Hours, Breaks World Record for Charity Funds
Nigerian chess player Tunde Onakoya once saved chess from poverty. He played chess for 58 hours to raise funds for charity.
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Tunde Onakoya, a chess master and children's education activist from Nigeria, played a marathon chess game in Times Square, New York City, USA, on Friday (19/4/2024). He broke the world record for a chess marathon on Saturday (20/4/2024), in a game to raise funds for children's education in Africa.
NEW YORK, SATURDAY — Nigerian chess master, Tunde Onakoya (29), broke the world record for the longest chess marathon under the lights Times Square, New York City, United States. He played chess for 58 hours in a row without losing once, Saturday (20/4/2024).
Onakoya, also an activist for children's education, appeared at the chess marathon to raise US$1 million to support education for children across Africa. He started a marathon chess game, starting Wednesday (17/4/2024), to break the Guinness World Record (Guinness World Records) in the longest chess marathon.
Onakoya surpassed the marathon chess record of two chess players from Norway, namely Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, who recorded a time of 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds in 2018. This record was also recorded by Guinness World Records.
Also read: Chess is a breakthrough in lifting African children out of poverty
Onakoya exceeded the 58-hour duration on Saturday (20/4/2024) at 02.30 local time or 08.30 WIB. The Guinness World Record organization has not made an official statement regarding the record-breaking attempt. They typically require several weeks to confirm the breaking of a new record.
The atmosphere in Times Square, New York City, USA, on Friday (19/4/2024), was the location of a marathon chess game played by Tunde Onakoya (second from the right) in an attempt to break the world record and raise funds for charity to support education for children in Africa.
Hundreds of supporters from the Nigerian community tuned in to cheer on Onakoya. They turned on African music and cheered him on with cheers and applause. Not to forget, they provide traditional Nigerian dishes, including Jollof rice, a famous dish in West Africa.
Jollof rice and water
While Onakoya plays chess, jollof rice is one of his main meals. Apart from that, he also drinks lots of water.
"I currently have 100% energy because my supporters here continue to give me encouragement with music," said Onakoya on Thursday night when he successfully completed a 24-hour gaming session.
Onakoya played a game of chess against US chess master, Shawn Martinez. This is in accordance with the guidelines of the Guinness World Record that any attempt to break a record must be done by two players playing continuously.
Also read: Strengthening the Character of the Young Generation through Chess
Every hour, Onakoya and his opponent can only rest for five minutes. Sometimes their break time is combined, giving Onakoya more time to dance with the Nigerian and New York residents who came to support him.
The residents cheered as Tunde Onakoya broke the record for a marathon game of chess lasting 46 hours in Times Square, New York City, USA on Friday (April 19, 2024).
The BBC page, Saturday (20/4/2024), stated that support also poured in from Nigerians who watched Onakoya's game via the Twitch video streaming service. His supporters also left messages and comments on the platform. They consider Onakoya an inspiration.
"Thank you for daring to dream and showing us that we can all improve the strength of our brains. I will start playing chess diligently," wrote one comment.
Onakoya has become a symbol of excellence and resilience that distinguishes Nigerian citizens both domestically and internationally. Make history and write our name in gold. (Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima)
"Onakoya is a symbol of excellence and resilience that sets Nigerian citizens apart both domestically and internationally. Make history and write our name in gold," wrote Nigeria's Vice President Kashim Shettima in a social media post on X platform.
"Lagos supports you. Onakoya is strong proof that greatness can come from anywhere," said Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, to Onakoya.
Tunde Onakoya (29), a Nigerian chess master and children's education advocate, played chess in Times Square, USA on April 19, 2024.
Saved chess
Onakoya said that chess has saved him from the brink of poverty. He was born and raised in a slum floating settlement in Lagos, the capital city of Nigeria. Onakoya's non-profit organization, Chess in Slums Africa, founded in 2018, teaches the game of chess to children in poor communities and provides educational support for them. The organization supports the education of one million children in slum areas in Africa.
Also read: Encourage children who love chess to take part in competitions
Onakoya is also a member of the non-profit organization in the United States, The Gift of Chess, which transforms communities through chess. They have been advocating for chess and committed to distributing one million chess sets to the poor communities by 2030.
DailyThe New York Times said, The Gift of Chess started in New York City during the pandemic, December 2020, and targeted 10,000 chess sets to socially isolated children in the US. This record-breaking effort, said Onakoya, is to realize the dreams of millions of children throughout Africa who do not have access to education.
Manager Onakoya, Taiwo Adeyemi, stated that within the first 20 hours, 22,000 US dollars had already been collected. "He has received a lot of support from Nigerian citizens in the US, world leaders, celebrities, and hundreds of passersby," he said.
In a screenshot taken from this video, Tunde Onakoya (left), a Nigerian chess master and children's education activist (right), is seen playing chess in Times Square, New York City, USA, on April 18, 2024.
"Remember your own words: we can achieve great things from remote places," said Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice President of Nigeria, who posted his comment on the social media platform X.
Also read: Fast Chess is Increasingly Popular
Efforts to break Onakoya's record are being closely monitored by the community in Nigeria. Onakoya regularly holds chess competitions for young people living on the streets. More than 10 million children drop out of school in Nigeria, one of the highest dropout rates in the world. (AP)
