Breaking: Tunde Onakoya breaks another Guinness World Record

Nigerian chess maestro and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has made global headlines after breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.

Onakoya, alongside U.S. chess master Shawn Martinez, officially surpassed the previous record of 61 hours on Sunday, April 21, hitting the 62-hour mark during their intense and inspiring gameplay at Times Square, New York City. The duo, however, are not stopping there—they’re pushing on, aiming to cross the 70-hour mark in what Onakoya calls “a love letter to children who’ve never known the luxury of a second chance.”

Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Onakoya celebrated the feat with the words: “For all the dreamers! We’ve officially broken the record!”

But this mission isn’t just about etching their names in history—it’s about raising funds and awareness for Nigeria’s largest free school for homeless children. The chess marathon, which kicked off on Wednesday, April 17, is part of a larger campaign to spotlight the plight of underprivileged kids and offer them the gift of education.

“If you had 70 hours to change the world, what would you do?” Onakoya asked in a powerful message shared during the marathon. “Sometimes, you have to carve it out of your own breath, your own becoming. Not for applause. Not for records. But for the quiet dreamers who need to see someone leap—so they know it’s possible to fly.”

He added, “Every move, every hour, a love letter to children who’ve never known the luxury of a second chance. If your heart has ever burned for something bigger than yourself, come find us. Stand with us.”

This marks Onakoya’s second attempt at the record. In April 2024, he and Martinez played for 60 hours, surpassing the previous record of 56 hours set in 2018. However, that title was short-lived after Norwegian players claimed a 61-hour victory just two months later.

Now, exactly a year on, Onakoya has reclaimed the spotlight with renewed passion—not just for chess, but for humanity.

As the hours tick on toward the 70-hour goal, supporters from across the world continue to rally behind the inspiring movement, recognizing that this is more than a game—it’s a fight for opportunity, for visibility, and for change.