Tunde Onakoya Confirmed As Guinness World Record Holder For Longest Chess Marathon

Nigerian chess champion, Tunde Onakoya, has broken a Guinness World Record alongside American chess player Shawn Martinez.

The duo played non-stop for 64 hours, setting a new world record for the longest chess marathon ever recorded.

On Sunday, Tunde Onakoya announced the milestone in several posts on X.com, revealing that Guinness World Records has formally confirmed their accomplishment.

In one of his posts, he included photos of himself and Martinez holding the official certificate and wrote, “We did the impossible and gave the world something new to believe in. Official record holders of the Longest Chess Marathon for 64 hours. We did it. It’s time to go home.”

He also added a powerful message: “It is possible to do great things from a small place.”

In another message, he congratulated Martinez, saying, “Officially amazing! Congrats on our shared achievement Shawn Martinez!”

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According to the certificate issued by Guinness World Records, the chess marathon took place in New York City’s Times Square from April 17 to April 20, 2025.

It was gathered that the event kicked off on Wednesday and wrapped up on Sunday.

At one point during the challenge, Martinez’s wife visited with their newborn twins, creating a touching family moment. Children were also invited to join the game briefly, adding a heartwarming and inclusive touch to the marathon.

This isn’t Tunde Onakoya’s first time breaking the Guinness World Record.

In April 2024, he and Martinez completed a 60-hour chess marathon, beating a 2018 record set by two Norwegian players.

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However, that victory was short-lived. Just two months later, another Norwegian duo topped it with a 61-hour, 3-minute, and 34-second run.

Determined to reclaim the title, Onakoya and Martinez returned a year later with the goal of playing for 70 hours. They officially stopped at 64 hours—enough to set a new world record.

Onakoya said this was about more than just a title, explaining that the marathon was also meant to draw attention to a bigger dream, including building Nigeria’s largest tuition-free school for homeless children.

“To build a tuition-free school for homeless children. This is a dream I’ve carried for years. Because no child should ever have their childhood sacrificed for survival. No dream should be buried beneath the weight of poverty,” Onakoya said.

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Watch the video below:

KanyiDaily recalls that Tunde Onakoya recently pledged to fund the education of a young girl whose mother was criticized for bringing her along to work as a street sweeper at 4 a.m.

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