You may not know the name of Tunde Onakoya, but for many people, he has become a hero, making headlines in Times Square, New York, but reverberating all over Africa. The Nigerian-born Onakoya embarked on a chess marathon with the goal of breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous game of chess of 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds set in 2018 by Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad of Norway.
Onakoya, founder of the Chess in Slums Africa charity foundation in 2018, aimed for 58 hours, but once having reached that, he tweeted, “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.”
The challenge involved not only in exhibiting the skill of chess but navigating the logistics of “life”. That means a lack of sleep, cold and wet weather, playing through the nights, how to eat, and how to visit the bathroom.
At one point Onakoya bounced up from his seat and ran to a restaurant across the street. “Yeah, so every hour we get a five minute break,” his chief opponent, chess master and coach Shawn Martinez, said. “[Onakoya] had to rush to the bathroom so he’s going to use the five minutes.”
As Onakoya played through intense physical discomfort and fatigue, he was supported by the vibrant energy of onlookers and fans who gathered to witness this historic moment. People have been delivering food: bananas, green apples, big trays of jollof rice. It’s the late-night cold, though, that worries Onakoya.
“He’s completely calm, almost zen-like,” said Russell Makofsky, president of the Gift of Chess which is promoting the event as a fundraiser. “His disposition has stayed consistent from the start.” When the rain gets heavy, they’ll move under the scaffolding.
“We’re trying to get a million chess sets out all over the world as a tool for education,” he said. “What better platform than to come here and go to the people in Times Square.”
The record attempt is currently under review by the Guinness World Records organization, and confirmation is expected to take several weeks. However, the impact of Onakoya’s marathon goes beyond the potential record; it has raised significant funds and awareness for Chess in Slums Africa, furthering the education of countless children.
“But, yeah, I’m doing it for the dreams of thousands and millions of children across Africa without access to education. So, that should keep me up enough.”
The Gift of Chess is a registered nonprofit. According to its latest tax filing, nearly all of the $96,000 it raised went to purchase chess sets and supplies.
Whether he has set a new record is now up to the Guiness bureaucratic process, and it’s unclear when the world will know for sure. But Onakoya says spreading awareness and access around the game is a victory in itself.
