What’s better than one Guinness World Record? Well, how about going for a second one? Tunde Onakoya is gearing up for another historic feat — this time, aiming to break the record for the longest marathon chess game, clocking in at 70 hours. And he won’t be doing it alone. Joining him on this mission is fellow chess coach and US National Master, Shawn Martinez.
You’ll remember that in April 2024, Tunde played chess for straight in Times Square, New York, smashing the previous record and raising funds for children’s education across Africa. He initially set out to play for 58 hours but pushed himself to 60 in the hope of raising $1 million for out-of-school children.
Since then, two Norwegian players have surpassed that feat with a 61-hour record, and now, Tunde and Shawn are stepping up to reclaim the title, with their attempt scheduled for April 17th to 20th.
What makes this attempt even more inspiring is that Tunde will be joined each day by five children from Chess in Slums Africa, who, in his words, “have shown all of us that it is possible to do great things from a small place.”; The children will take turns joining the marathon for a few hours daily.
As with his previous record-breaking run, the goal is much bigger than the game itself. Tunde hopes to inspire people around the world and rally support to build the largest free school for homeless children in Nigeria. He’s also extended an open invitation to every chess player in New York City to come and challenge them in Times Square.
