Tunde Onakoya Nears 40-Hour Mark in Chess Marathon, Surpassing $40K Fundraising Goal

Tunde Onakoya, the visionary behind Chess in Slum Initiative Africa, is on the brink of achieving a remarkable feat: breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon. Commencing his quest on Wednesday, April 17, Tunde has demonstrated unparalleled resilience, prevailing over formidable opponents, including the esteemed National Chess Master from New York, Shawn Martinez.

Presently stationed in the iconic Times Square, New York City, Tunde’s marathon has clocked an impressive 38.02 hours, accompanied by an astonishing fundraising tally of approximately $40,625 (equivalent to roughly 46,762,625 Nigerian Naira). In a recent update shared on his X platform, Tunde celebrated his milestone of completing 100 games, with 87 matches against his primary rival, Coach Shawn Martinez, and 13 encounters with other challengers.

“Game number 100. ♟️ 87 against my main opponent @CoachShawnMar. 13 against external challengers. We are now 31 hours in, with 27 to go! That puts us officially past the halfway mark. It’s looking possible now. 💪🏾 Keep streaming, keep donating,” he announced.

With unwavering support pouring in from fans worldwide, anticipation mounts as Tunde’s admirers eagerly await the moment he clinches the Guinness World Record title. However, achieving this feat hinges on Tunde’s ability to sustain his marathon for a total of 58 hours, with Guinness adjudicators slated to assess the match before officially bestowing the coveted record upon him.