Nigerian Chess master, Tunde Onakoya and his partner Shawn Martinez have hit the 60-hour mark to bring their Guinness World Record attempt for the longest chess marathon to a close.

The attempt which took place at the Times Square in New York, began on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 by 3pm Nigerian time and came to a close by 4:30 am on Saturday, April 20, 2024.

Tunde and Shawn went over and beyond in their attempt to break and set a new record. 58 hours was the target but as the attempt headed towards crunch time, Tunde announced the extension in a bid to make it difficult for their newly set record to be broken easily.

The standing official chess marathon record is 56 hours, nine minutes, and 37 seconds, executed on November 11, 2018 b, by Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, both from Norway.

The duo of Tunde Onakoya and Shawn Martinez surpassed the record by three hours and 51 minutes.

As one would expect, the road to achieving this incredible feat was not a hitch-free one. Tunde, aside from the expected fatigue and effects from sleep deprivation, faced health challenges, including barfing and stomach discomfort but he remained steadfast. When given the option to retire, he asserted, “I will play on for the dreams of millions of children.”

His grit and resilience garnered widespread support, with online well-wishers and spectators present at the New York Times Square cheering him on.

The main purpose of the marathon was to raise One million dollars for the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education.

Tunde Onakoya’s partner, Shawn Martinez, is a national chess master, he coached Tanitoluwa Adewumi, a Nigerian boy who lived in a homeless shelter in New York City and became a chess master.

Tunde Onakoya, 29, has organized several interventions for children across slums in Lagos state including Majidun (Ikorodu), Makoko and Oshodi. As of June 2021, Chess in Slums Africa had trained over 200 children and got lifelong scholarships for 20 of them.

Computer science diploma holder, Tunde learned to play chess at a barber’s shop in a slum in Ikorodu, Lagos where he was raised and ended up being a gold medalist representing the Yaba College of Technology in the Nigeria Polytechnic Games and also at the RCCG Chess Championship. He has also won the National Friends of Chess and the Chevron Chess Open.

Onakoya would be looking to join, Mfon Udoh, Fela Kuti, Stephen Keshi, Bose Omolayo, Lucy Ejike, Bayo Omoboriowo, Hilda Baci and the host of other Nigerians who have broken a Guinness World Record, as we await an official statement from the GWR body.

Tunde’s mantra is “It is possible to do great things from a small place” and Nigeria and the world at large has seen it play out.