New York’s Time Square beamed with Nigerian dishes and drums as 29-year-old Tunde Onakoya attempted to make a bold statement with his 58-hour non-stop chess game to become a Guinness World Records title holder.

Onakoya, who grew up in a Lagos ghetto, achieved his goal very early on Saturday morning by breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon without losing to anyone. He, however, decided to push the duration to 60 hours. He started the game on Wednesday, April 17.

His philosophy, one “can do great things from a small place”, has been shared several times on social media.

Through Chess in Slums Africa, a non-profit dedicated to empowering disadvantaged children with chess literacy and support their education, Onakoya caters to the needs of young children across Africa.

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Onakoya aspired to remain unbeaten by Shawn Martinez, also a chess master, and raise $1 million for charity purposes. As of press time, his supporters had donated over $54,000 to the cause.

“We’re on a mission to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon while raising $1 million for educational programmes in African slums,” Tunde had written ahead of the game.

“Your support means the world to us, so please come out, cheer us on, and consider donating to this incredible cause. Let’s make history together and empower underprivileged children through chess!”

ABOUT THE RECORD ATTEMPT

Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, two Norwegians, are the joint holders of the title Onakoya is gunning for.

On November 11, 2018, Guinness World Records announced the duo as the holders of the longest chess marathon after a gruelling 56-hour, 9 minutes and 37 seconds period at Haugesund, Norway.

Unlike the Norwegians who streamed their game via Twitch, an American video live-streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, Onakoya is streaming his own attempt online via Tiltify. Tiltify is a community-based website for charitable fundraising.

One of the conditions of the marathon game is that it must be played by a team of two players, both of whom must play against each other for the specified time in a public place for public inspection.

The team had only five minutes of rest in every hour of activity. On their own volition, they can defer the rest period. Subject to GWR’s ratification, the title belongs to Onakoya and his opponent.

Onakoya’s humble journey to becoming a world-renowned chess master started in Isale Odo in Ikorodu, Lagos State, where he acquired the skill as a boy. He would later hone his skills through his secondary school Chess Club and start winning trophies, he explained in an interview with Zikoko, a Nigerian lifestyle blog.

“During my teenage years, we lived in a slum community called Isale Odo in Ikorodu. It was in Ikorodu that things got really bad for my dad. He had a danfo which he used to lease out to drivers who would bring him an agreed amount. Sometimes, he would drive it himself. There were even days he’d be the conductor. Then his danfo ran into a series of problems and was no longer a source of income,” Tunde was quoted as saying.

“I couldn’t start secondary school because my parents were too poor to raise school fees — my brother was still in primary school and they couldn’t afford to pay for the both of us. They didn’t want me to go to a public school, as they were notorious for their poor standards and cultism. And so while my mates were in JSS 2, I was wasting at home. It was during this time that I found chess.”

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The turnout of Nigerians at the United States’ entertainment hub has been massive since Thursday, when the record attempt started.

Omoyele Sowore, a 2023 presidential candidate, and music superstars David Adeleke (Davido) and Adekunle Kosoko (Adekunle Gold) are among those who have shown up physically to cheer him on. Peter Lot Egopija, Nigeria’s consul-general in New York City, was also at Time Square to see him.

Nigerian leaders, including Kashim Shettima, the vice-president; Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor; Yemi Osinbajo, the immediate past vice-president; and Dapo Abiodun, the Ogun State Governor, have commended Onakoya’s extraordinary effort.