Biography
Who is Tunde Onakoya? Profile of Nigerian chess master, coach and World Record holder
Tunde Onkoya with his Chess in Slums Africa initiatives have redefined the love for chess in Nigeria and also help bring joy to thousands of children in the country.
Who is Tunde Onakoya?
Tunde Onakoya on Saturday, April 20, 2024 set a World Record for the longest chess marathon after playing unbeaten for more than 60 hours in New York City’s Times Square.
Although Tunde Onakoya has for a while being in the limelight for his chess prowess and impact, the new World Record gave him more fame.
He is the founder of Chess in Slums Africa.
How old is Tunde Onakoya?
Tunde Onakoya was born on October 6, 1994. He is currently 29 years old and will be 30 years old by Ocotober 6, 2024.
Parents
Tunde was born in Isale Odo, Ikorodu in Lagos state to a driver/conductor (father) and petty trader (mother).
Education
Onakoya graduated with a diploma in computer science at Yaba College of Technology.
Why Tunde attempted to break the World Record?
Tunde’s attempt at the world record was to to raise money for underprivileged children. He had hoped to raise $1 million for children’s education across Africa through the record attempt.
For the attempt, Onakoya partnered with U.S. chess master Shawn Martinez in Times Square, New York, aiming to surpass the current record of 56 hours and 9 minutes with a 58-hour chess session.
This was in line with Guinness World Records guidelines that any attempt to break the record must be made by two players who would play continuously for the entire duration.
A total of $22,000 was raised within the first 20 hours of the attempt, said Taiwo Adeyemi, Onakoya’s manager. “The support has been overwhelming from Nigerians in the US, global leaders, celebrities and hundreds of passersby,” he said.
The Gift of Chess also announced a contribution from Goldman Sachs on social media, stating, “Huge news… We just received $5,000 from Goldman Sachs.”
How it started
Tunde was once asked by a Twitter user, “Poorly explain what you do for a living” and he responded;
I teach people how to drop weapons and pick up plastic pieces
-Tunde Onakoya
However, this teacher was once a student. Like many Nigerians are fond of saying, being born in the country, “life is already winning you 2-0”. Surviving and thriving in Nigeria is like a game of chess.
Due to his parents financial situation, they were unable to pay his school fees which hindered Tunde from being promoted to Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS2) along with his mates. Instead, he would be found at a barber’s shop playing PS1.
Fortunately for him, his dilemna was life steering him towards his passion. The barber was also a chess player and Tunde during his visit would watch the barber play other players learning the skills – both offense and defense.
His mother would later work for a Nigerian ambassador for free in exchange for her son’s education. By the time Onakoya would be promoted to JSS2, he had already won his first chess tournament and represented the school.
He would later be ranked as the number 13 chess player in Nigeria.
Years later, in 2018, Onakoya revisited the neighbourhood where he grew up and was appalled nothing has change much and there are lots of children without access to education and a prospective brighter future.
Onakoya at the time being a National Chess Master collaborated with his friends to engage the children in the game of chess, an initiative which would later birth the Chess in Slum.
Awards
He received The Future Awards Africa Prize for Community Action in 2021 and was named Leadership newspaper’s Social Impact Person of 2022.
He was named as one of the 100 Most Impactful Africans by Ranks Africa in 2023.
Is Tunde Onakoya a Guiness World Record holder for longest unbeaten chess marathon?
As at April 22 when this article was published, Tunde has only attempted the Guiness World Record for the …, but yet to be officially awarded the recognition by GWR.
According to the GWR official website, “it can take up to 12 weeks* for us to review your documentation and let you know if your record attempt has been a success”.
Should the Guinness Book of World Records officially record Tunde’s record, he would forever be known as a Guinness Book of World Records holder.
However, prior to this accomplishment, Tunde won some significant awards and competions including Polytechnic Games, RCCG Chess Championship, National Friends of Chess, and the Chevron Chess Open.
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
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