Tunde Onakoya is set to confront his most challenging opponent yet: sleep deprivation. However, this is not your typical all-nighter fueled by caffeine.
Onakoya is on a mission to beat the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon, all while raising awareness for a cause important to his heart: education for underprivileged African children.
Onakoya will fight for 58 hours on the checkered battleground in the heart of New York City’s Times Square, beginning April 17th. This isn’t only about personal achievement for the chess prodigy.
Onakoya, the founder of Chess in Slums Africa, sees the game as a valuable tool for social change. His organisation uses chess to teach disadvantaged youths fundamental skills and provide mentorship opportunities.
“This isn’t just about me,” Onakoya declared on social media.
“It’s for the millions of African children who lack access to education.”
His drive stems from a place of deep empathy. Growing up with limited resources himself, Onakoya understands the struggles these children face.
“We knew the pain,” he shared in an interview with Channels Television.
“The pain of not having access, that’s the real tragedy.”
Fueled by his own experiences and a desire to empower others, Onakoya hopes to not only break the current record of 56 hours (held by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad) but also use his platform to champion education in Africa