CNN —Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate Tunde Onakoya has broken the record for the longest chess marathon after playing for an extraordinary 60 hours nonstop under the bright lights of New York City’s Times Square.
The Guinness World Record organization has not yet confirmed Onakoya’s attempt, which can sometimes take weeks, but for many Nigerians, the 29-year-old is already considered something of a national hero.
Onakoya played against Shawn Martinez, a US chess champion, in accordance with the Guinness World Record guidelines that any attempt to break the record must be made by two players who play continuously for the duration.
Onakoya founded Chess in Slums Africa, which seeks to empower children in underprivileged communities by using chess to enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills, in Lagos.
People celebrate as Tunde Onakoya marks 46 hours for consecutively playing a chess game in Times Square, Friday, April 19, 2024, in New York.
Persons:
Tunde, Onakoya, Hallvard Haug Flatebø, Let’s, Shawn Martinez, Martinez, Davido, Adekunle, Bola Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale, “, Tinubu, Yuki Iwamura, Solomon Passy, Russell Makofsky
Organizations:
CNN, New York City’s, Guinness, Nigeria’s, Champion, People, Times
Locations:
Nigerian, New York, Africa, Norway, Manhattan, Nigeria, Lagos, Berlin, Bulgarian, US