Nigerian chess master and founder of Chess in Slum Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has successfully raised over N131 million in his Guinness World Record attempt for the longest chess marathon.
Onakoya achieved this remarkable feat by playing a non-stop chess game, remaining undefeated. He surpassed the previous record of 56 hours and 9 minutes set in 2018 by Norwegian duo Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, by clocking an impressive 60 hours on Saturday, April 21, 2024.
Throughout his world record-breaking endeavor at Times Square in New York City, the 29-year-old maestro received support from Shawn Martinez, the United States national chess master, who served as his opponent.
Tunde Onakoya and Shawn Martinez embarked on a remarkable journey to establish a new record for the longest continuous chess marathon, engaging in an impressive 60-hour session.
Although Guinness World Records has yet to officially confirm their attempt, their achievement has garnered widespread acclaim within the chess community.
The marathon had a noble purpose: to raise $1 million (approximately N1 billion) for Chess in Slums Africa. Tunde took to social media to chronicle their endeavor and encouraged supporters to contribute to the cause.
In a recent update, it was reported that they have received over N131 million in donations, signaling significant support for their charitable initiative.
Social media users shared their thoughts via comments section. Some reactions are shown below:
adesinaadebisifisayo said, “Amazing👏👏👏. The sky is your starting point bro. Keep soaring high @tunde_onakoya”.
houseofjaycee_ng said, “This tunde is Yoruba angel 😇😇”.
t_hansome1 said, “131 million for something worthy and something unworthy will raise over 200”.
trulytywo said, “Way to go👏👏👏👏. Incredible heart and performance 🙌🙌🙌”.
nimi_chick said, “This record cannot easily be broken because of this act of kindness that accompanies it”.
