Tunde Onakoya, Shawn Martinez Break Guinness Record With 64-Hour Chess Marathon
Nigerian chess player Tunde Onakoya and NM Shawn Martinez have officially broken the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon after playing continuously for an astonishing 64 hours in New York's iconic Times Square.
The impressive feat began on April 17 and ended in the early hours of Sunday morning, April 20. "We did the impossible and gave the world something new to believe in," Onakoya wrote on his account on X/Twitter.
"It was a painful ride. It took a lot. I am kind of lost for words right now," Martinez said in a video shared online following their record-breaking session.
It was a painful ride. It took a lot.
—Shawn Martinez after playing chess for 64 hours
Onakoya celebrated the achievement and shared the official verification by Guinness.
Officiallly amazing @GWR . Congrats on our shared achievement Shawn Martinez! pic.twitter.com/3chNRQhe35
— Tunde Onakoya (@Tunde_OD) April 20, 2025
The duo initially aimed for 70 hours, but made the symbolic decision to end after 64 hours. "We stopped at 64 hours because it's the total number of squares on the chessboard. It felt like the right thing to do," Onakoya said.
RECORD BROKEN! One Board A Million Dreams! 62 Hours ONGOING ❤️ 🇳🇬
— Tunde Onakoya (@Tunde_OD) April 20, 2025
with my brother @CoachShawnMar 🇵🇷@chessinslums #70HoursofChessWithTunde#ChessForEducation #GWR2025 pic.twitter.com/g60LJRcLkd
The previous official record was 61 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds and was set during the 2024 Norway Chess by Norwegian duo Odin Blikra Vea and Askild Bryn. Every single move of the 383-game blitz match was streamed live by Chess.com.
The new record comes exactly one year after Onakoya overcame intense vomiting, stomach pain, and extreme tiredness to play for 60 hours in his first match with Martinez on Times Square. The attempt reportedly raised $100,000 to support children's education in Africa, but was never officially approved as a world record.
Chess.com also covered the incredible story by FM Joran Aulin-Jansson, who played 701 blitz games for 92 hours and 26 minutes—almost four days. However, the insane event took place back in 1984 with different regulations, and it was also never approved due to a missing signature.
According to official guidelines by Guinness, the players were allowed five-minute breaks per hour, which could be accumulated into a 30-minute rest block every six hours. Some of the other requirements included:
- Standard equipment within FIDE rules
- Immediate setup of a new game after one ends
- Adherence to the spirit of the rules of chess
- No prolonged discussions to gain rest
- Continuous play by the same two players
This time, the session was thoroughly documented and strictly adhered to the guidelines. Several people had also registered to witness the match, as required by Guinness.
Among those who attended was two-time U.S. Women's Champion WGM Jennifer Shahade, who said she served as an official Guinness witness, writing in detail about her experience on her Substack page.
I was an official witness at @Tunde_OD & @CoachShawnMar Guinness World record attempt in Times Square.
— Jennifer Shahade (@JenShahade) April 19, 2025
Tunde is a hero to me and also to children all over the World —this was the first time we met irl. Godspeed!! I believe you will make it! pic.twitter.com/JhNyVFSwmg
The event was organized by The Gift of Chess, a nonprofit committed to donating one million chess sets globally by 2030. It was also livestreamed and drew crowds of supporters throughout the 64 hours.
Students from across NYC stop by to support Tunde & Shawn 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xmjsdJrMjT
— The Gift of Chess (@thegiftofchess) April 18, 2025
Thirty-year-old Onakoya, whose peak FIDE rating is 2197, is the founder of Chess in Slums Africa, a nonprofit organization that uses chess as a tool to help poor children read and write. His noble cause has made him a role model for millions in Africa as he chases his target of raising $1 million for children's education across the continent.
Having started a global movement, he has attracted more than a million followers across his social media platforms and gained significant media attention worldwide. "Doing this for the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education," Onakoya stated during the marathon.
Doing this for the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education.
—Tunde Onakoya
Martinez is an American national master and chess coach from New York. Of Puerto Rican descent, he started playing chess in sixth grade at I.S. 318, the school renowned for its successful chess program featured in the award-winning documentary Brooklyn Castle. He has since founded Pushing Pawns, a company that provides chess coaching to youth across New York City.
He is also the father of newborn twins.
Did you know that Shawn Martinez and his wife were recently blessed with twin girls. Along with joy of his growing family also comes incredible responsibility, but when Tunde Onakoya called him to attempt a new world record, supporting a tuition free school in Nigeria, he was… pic.twitter.com/3jbzdgtGST
— The Gift of Chess (@thegiftofchess) April 21, 2025
Tunde and Shawn's 64-hour record is a true testament to the duo's determination and drive to help make the world a better place through chess. You can learn more about Tunde's nonprofit organization and donate to help their cause through their official website.
