This Nigerian chess master aims to raise money by playing the longest continuous game : NPR
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This Nigerian chess master aims to raise money by playing the longest continuous game Under the glare of the lights in New York's Time Square, a Nigerian chess master makes his bid to break the world record for the longest continuous chess game to raise money for children back home.

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< This Nigerian chess master aims to raise money by playing the longest continuous game

This Nigerian chess master aims to raise money by playing the longest continuous game

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A 29-year-old Nigerian chess master has been camped out for more than two days in Times Square on a mission. He hopes to play chess for 58 hours without stopping and break the world record. It's all to help a charity that has taught chess and supported education for thousands of underprivileged children in Nigeria and Africa more broadly. His chess marathon in New York has drawn crowds, including celebrities, as NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu reports.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Non-English language spoken).

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Non-English language spoken).

EMMANUEL AKINWOTU, BYLINE: Outside on the edge of Times Square, a crowd cheers on Tunde Onakoya, a chess master who has become beloved in Nigeria. He's in his trademark Yoruba cap but wrapped against the cold in a scarf and jacket and sat on a red table with a chess board. Dozens of people gather around the chess table in Times Square, while thousands watch on livestreams back home. A pair of drummers entertain the crowd, while celebrities like music star Davido stop by and will him on. It's been more than two days of continuous chess, and now he's on the home straight.

TUNDE ONAKOYA: Yeah, I'm tired, but I'll keep going. Can't stop now.

AKINWOTU: He's playing to raise money for his charity, Chess in Slums Africa, to provide education and opportunities for children.

ONAKOYA: This is for the dreams of thousands of children without access to education, and this is why I'm doing this. Talent is universal, but opportunity isn't, so we're standing in that gap by doing this to bring this to people's awareness - at the same time, raise support that is needed to make sure they get the opportunities they deserve.

AKINWOTU: His journey here started six years ago.

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ONAKOYA: What's the name of this square?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: C5.

ONAKOYA: What's the name of this square?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: E4.

ONAKOYA: What's the name of this square?

AKINWOTU: In this footage, he's teaching chess to children. It's a program he started in 2018 in Ikorodu, a rough neighborhood where he was raised in Lagos. Then he took it to other parts of Nigeria, a country where more than 10 million children are out of school. He set up chess classes and tournaments beneath bridges for children and an underclass of boys sometimes disparagingly called touts, for hustling to get by in life. Support for his work has grown within Nigeria and beyond, attracting funding for scholarships and training from international chess stars, and it's ignited goodwill from around the world.

WHITNEY MORRISON: I'm not a chess player. I am interested. I play a mean Connect Four, but that's about it (laughter).

AKINWOTU: Whitney Morrison found out about Tunde's marathon online.

MORRISON: I saw Tunde's video on the internet where he was playing multiple games, and I was really inspired. It's an incredible feat. I went home last night, so I have energy. I don't know why they have it.

AKINWOTU: Bode Akinyemi flew in from Nigeria on business but stayed around to support Tunde, too.

BODE AKINYEMI: I think that the beauty of what he does is in the inspiration that it gives and the motivation that he gives to a lot of young Nigerians.

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AKINWOTU: To those cheering him on in Times Square and beyond, captured by his mission and determination, Onakoya has already won, whether he breaks the world record or not.

Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR News, Lagos.

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