Nigeria's Tunde Onakoya breaks Chess World Record

Nigeria's Tunde Onakoya has broken the world record for the longest chess marathon and is now targeting a new milestone of 70 hours.

Tunde Onakoya breaks Chess World Record

The marathon, which kicked off on Wednesday, April 17, is taking place at Times Square in New York City and is expected to conclude on Sunday, April 20. Onakoya is playing alongside U.S. chess master Shawn Martinez in a bid to set a new record.

At one point during the event, Martinez’s wife visited the site with their newborn twins, creating a heartfelt moment in the midst of the intense challenge. Children were also invited to join in and play chess for a few hours, adding a community feel to the record-breaking attempt.

This is Onakoya’s second run at the title. In April 2024, he and Martinez completed a 60-hour chess marathon, surpassing the 2018 record of 56 hours held by Norwegian duo Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad. However, their victory was short-lived—two months later, another pair from Norway edged them out with a new record of 61 hours, 3 minutes and 34 seconds.

Now, a year later, Onakoya and Martinez are back with a vengeance, pushing for a historic 70-hour finish.