Chess guru and and social reformer, Tunde Onakoya has launched a new attempt to break the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest chess marathon.
The Chess in Slums Africa founder started the challenge at Times Square in New York City on the 17th of April, 2025, and he intends to play non-stop chess for 70 hours without losing once.
Sharing a clip of the countdown leading to the attempt on X recently, Tunde disclosed that he is attempting the record-setting move to raise funds that will build free schools for homeless Nigerian kids. He also revealed that he would only be allowed 5-minute breaks every hour during his attempt.
According to him, five kids from Chess in Slums Africa would also be joining him in New York as he seeks to make Nigeria proud, and that will serve as further proof that amazing things are not impossible from even the smallest of places. “They have shown all of us that it is possible to do great things from a small place,” he said.
Just last year, in April, Onakoya played a 60-hour chess marathon alongside US chess master, Shawn Martinez, surpassing the 56-hour record set seven years ago by popular Norwegian chess players, Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad. However, despite the impressive achievement, Guinness World Records never made the new record official. It instead announced another Norwegian pair, Odin Blikra Vea and Askild Bryn, as the new record holders for playing chess for a whopping 61 hours, 3 minutes and 34 seconds.
Not giving up, Tunde recently confirmed his dream for him and Martinez to attempt a new 70-hour run to secure the record, and we can only wish them all the best.
