'A lot of emotions' as Nigerian Tunde breaks world chess record

By Emmanuel Onyango

Nigerian Tunde Onakoya has broken the world record for the longest chess marathon after playing unbeaten for more than 58 hours in New York City's Times Square to raise money for underprivileged children in his country.

Onakoya, 29, embarked on his marathon session on Wednesday, and was visibly emotional when he finally surpassed the 58-hour mark on Friday night in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

"I can't process a lot of the emotions I feel right now. I don't have the right words for them. But I know we did something truly remarkable," he said.

"(At) 3 am last night, that was the moment I was ready to just give it all up... but Nigerians traveled from all over the world. And they were with me overnight," he continued.

'Dancing together'

"We were singing together and they were dancing together and I couldn't just give up on them."

The previous record had been 56 hours of play.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu congratulated Onakoya for "setting a new world chess record and sounding the gong of Nigeria's resilience, self-belief, and ingenuity."

Onakoya, he added, had "shown a streak customary among Nigeria's youth population, the audacity to make good change happen... even from corners of disadvantage."

The governor of Lagos state, Nigeria's economic capital, said Onakoya's "journey from Lagos to global recognition embodies the spirit of our great city".

"Tunde Onakoya continues to demonstrate that greatness can emerge from even the most humble beginnings. His remarkable story serves as a blueprint for all of us in Lagos - a city where his impact has been felt the most, showing that with determination, dreams can indeed soar to monumental heights," said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Onakoya is well known in Nigeria, where he launched the Chess in Slums project in 2018 in Ikorodu, on the outskirts of Lagos.

The organization offers often-marginalized young people, many of whom are not in school and work to help their families, a space to learn to play chess.

By beating the world record, Onakoya hopes to raise $1 million to help underprivileged children in Africa.

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