Pictures: Tunde Onakoya Begins 70-Hour Chess Challenge in New York

In the heart of New York’s Times Square, Nigerian chess master and social impact leader Tunde Onakoya has launched a bold and inspiring mission, an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.

Surrounded by a lively crowd of supporters and passersby, Onakoya took his first moves on Thursday as he embarked on a grueling 70-hour, non-stop chess journey. But this is no ordinary game. 

It’s a test of endurance, concentration, and purpose with just five-minute breaks allowed each hour under Guinness World Record rules.

For Onakoya, this challenge is far more than a pursuit of global recognition. At the core of this marathon lies a powerful cause: to raise awareness and support for free education for Nigeria’s most vulnerable children. 

Through his initiative, Chess in Slums Africa, Onakoya has spent years transforming the lives of young kids from underserved communities proving that opportunity, mentorship, and belief can make all the difference.

“This isn’t just about chess,” he shared ahead of the event. “It’s about showing the world what is possible, and giving every child a chance to dream.”

This isn’t Onakoya’s first time pushing the boundaries. In April 2024, he and American chess master Shawn Martinez clocked in a 60-hour marathon surpassing the then-existing record. But the Guinness World Records didn’t officially validate that attempt. Instead, a Norwegian duo eventually took the record with a time of 61 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds.

Now, with the bar raised even higher, Onakoya and Martinez are back, this time going for a history-making 70 hours.

Onakoya is joined by five children from the Chess in Slums Africa program, young talents who have risen from difficult backgrounds to find hope and ambition through the game. “They’ve reminded us that greatness can come from anywhere,” he said.

As it unfolds, the challenge continues but the message is already loud and clear: this is about vision, courage, and creating space for children to thrive.

Whether or not the record falls, Tunde Onakoya has already proven himself a grandmaster of impact.