Checkmate! Nigerian champion Onakoya reclaims chess marathon record

Nigerian chess champion Tunde Onakoya, alongside his long-time chess partner Shawn Martinez, smashed the world record for the longest chess marathon at the weekend and set a new one at a grueling 64 hours.

The duo surpassed the previous record of 61 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds set by a pair of Norwegian players, Odin Blikra Vea and Askild Bryn, just last June in a four-day non-stop gameplay.

The record attempt kicked off on April 17th with an ambitious 70-hour target.

Onakoya, visibly moved by his achievements in viral videos, took to social media to share his triumph: “Dear dreamer, your dreams are written in the stars, and the universe will continue to make way for those who are brave enough to pursue without holding anything back,” he wrote on Instagram.

The official confirmation from Guinness World Records, displayed by Onakoya, cemented their place in history: “The longest chess marathon was achieved by Tunde Onakoya (Nigeria) and Shawn Martinez (Puerto Rico) in Times Square, New York, New York, USA, from 17 to 20 April 2025.”

The feat was chess-revenge for Onakoya, who, with Martinez, had briefly held the record in April 2024 after a 60-hour marathon, only to see it snatched away just two months later by a pair of Norwegian players.

Onakoya has acknowledged the support system that fuelled their endurance, writing on Instagram, “It took an entire village of these people who equally stayed awake almost the entire 64 hours with us. Every move the legendary @pushingpawnsnyc and I made was held up by the love and strength of these incredible humans.”