April 20, (THEWILL) – Nigerian chess master and founder of Chess Slums in Africa, Tunde Onakoya, and his chess partner, Shawn Martinez, have made history by setting a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest chess marathon.
The duo beat the previous chess marathon record of 61 hours, 3 minutes and 34 seconds set in 2024 by Norwegian chess players, Odin Blikra Vea and Askild Bryn, having played for 64 hours, and are currently working towards their goal of 70 hours
The 70-hour chess marathon held at Times Square, New York, began on Thursday, April 17 and is expected to end on Sunday, April 20.
Onakoya shared this outstanding feat on X on Sunday shortly after surpassing the current record.
“For all dreamers! We’ve officially broken the record”, he wrote.
The formal validation and verification of this new record by Guinness World Records is still being awaited.
Chess enthusiasts and Nigerians have congratulated the chess master on his most recent accomplishment.
Onakoya first gained global recognition in April 2024 when he and American chess master, Shawn Martinez, completed a 60-hour chess marathon, surpassing the previous record of 56 hours set by Norwegian players Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
