Amidst his remarkable feat of breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon, Tunde Onakoya reaches the 20-hour milestone, expressing gratitude and determination to persevere.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Onakoya (@Tunde_OD) jubilantly shares the milestone, stating, “20 hours! 💪🏾 38 to go. We’re getting closer and we will get there. Thank you! Thank you!!”
With 20 hours behind him and 38 remaining, Onakoya’s relentless determination and the outpouring of support from well-wishers propel him closer to achieving his historic goal.
Commencing his ambitious endeavor at New York City’s famed Times Square on Wednesday, April 17, Onakoya aims to surpass the current record of 58 hours, with the event scheduled to conclude on April 19.
Throughout the marathon, Onakoya has emerged victorious in all encounters, demonstrating his strategic prowess against opponents including New York’s National Chess Master, Shawn Martinez.
Onakoya’s manager, known as Taiwo, shared insights into the challenge, revealing that after 15 hours of uninterrupted play against 12 opponents, Onakoya took a cumulative 30-minute break, adhering to the rules which mandate a five-minute respite for every hour of play.
Taiwo explained the unique format of the challenge, stating, “The opponent on the first set is Shawn Martinez, a US National Chess Master, and he will play with Tunde throughout the attempt. Opponents in the second set are random players. He can’t lose any game on either set.”
Despite facing simultaneous matches, Onakoya must emerge victorious in his match against Martinez for the attempt to be considered valid for the record.
The event has attracted significant attention and support from Nigerians abroad, with Onakoya receiving encouragement from various Nigerian dignitaries including Vice President Kashim Shettima, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, among others.
