A Nigerian chess champion plays for 60 hours, setting a world record

NEW YORK (AP) – A Nigerian chess champion and advocate for kid’s education played chess non-stop for 60 hours in New York’s Times Square, breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.

Tunde Onakoya, 29, hopes to lift $1 million for the education of kids in Africa in a record-breaking attempt that began on Wednesday.

He intended to play the royal game for 58 hours, but continued playing until he reached 60 hours at around 12:40 on Saturday, thus exceeding current chess marathon record of 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds, achieved in 2018 by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad.

Guinness World Records has not yet publicly commented on Onakoya’s attempt. Sometimes it takes weeks for a corporation to substantiate a recent record.

Onakoya played against Shawn Martinez, an American chess champion, under Guinness World Record guidelines that any record attempt have to be made by two players who play repeatedly for the duration.

Support grew online and on stage, where a mixture of African music kept spectators and fans entertained with cheers and applause. Among the handfuls of people that supported Onakoya on stage was Nigerian music star Davido.

The record attempt is “the dream of millions of children across Africa without access to education,” said Onakoya, founding father of Chess in Slums Africa in 2018. The organization desires to support the education of a minimum of 1 million children in slums across the continent.

“My energy is at 100% now because my people are supporting me with music,” Onakoya said Thursday evening because the players passed the 24-hour mark.

On Onakoya’s menu: Lots of water and jollof rice, some of the famous West African dishes.

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For every hour of play, Onakoya and his opponent received only five minutes of rest. Sometimes breaks were grouped together, and Onakoya used them to meet up with the Nigerians and New Yorkers cheering him on. Sometimes he even joined of their dancing.

A total of $22,000 was raised in the primary 20 hours of the attempt, said Taiwo Adeyemi, Onakoya’s manager.

“The support from Nigerians in the US, world leaders, celebrities and hundreds of passersby has been overwhelming,” he said.

Onakoya’s ordeal was closely followed in Nigeria, where he often organizes chess competitions for young people living on the streets.

In this West African country, greater than 10 million school-age children are out of faculty – one in every of the best rates within the world.

Those who’ve publicly supported him include celebrities and public office holders, including former Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who wrote to Onakoya on the X social media platform: “Remember your personal strong words: ‘Great things may be done from a small place. ‘”