Lagos, NIGERIA – Nigerian chess player Tunde Onakoya set a new Guinness World Record for the longest “chess-a-thon” after playing for 64 hours with retired U.S. National Master Shawn Martinez at Times Square, New York.
The duo played board after board, game after game until they reached the 64-hour mark early Sunday morning, according to Chess.com.
But the real victory may go to the children who will benefit from the games.
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Tunde set a goal of raising $1 million for Chess in Slums Africa, a non-profit organization he founded that empowers underprivileged African children through chess and education.
The record-breaking feat wasn’t just about endurance and long hours to Tunde, who described it on his social media posts as a mission with purpose.
Tunde publicly congratulated Martinez.
“Together, for 60 hours, we showed the world what true collaboration means, trumping competition. We picked each other up during tough moments, both mentally and physically. And you did it with so much grace,” reads a post on Tunde’s X account.
Tunde’s triumph is more than a Guinness record. It’s a symbol of hope, resilience, and the power of using passion for purpose. The dreams of lots of children in Africa can come to life because of this.
Dominic Crown is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
