Global investment titan, Goldman Sachs, has contributed $5,000 to Tunde Onakoya’s ambitious chess marathon fundraiser.
Onakoya, the founder of Chess in Slums Africa, has partnered with American chess master, Shawn Martinez, in a quest to set a new world record of 58 hours for continuous chess play in Times Square, New York.
The current world record for the longest chess marathon stands at 56 hours and 9 minutes. Onakoya’s effort is not just about breaking records; his primary aim is to raise $1 million through his nonprofit organization, Chess in Slums Africa, and The Gift of Chess. These funds are earmarked to provide underprivileged children across African communities with access to basic education.
“We just received a generous donation of $5,000 from Goldman Sachs,” announced The Gift of Chess on social media platform X, expressing their gratitude for the significant contribution.
The chess matches, which are live-streamed on platforms like Tittify and Twitch, have attracted substantial online attention, peaking at over 500 concurrent viewers. Remarkably, Onakoya has remained unbeaten over 180 games during the marathon.
As the 29-year-old chess virtuoso has set a new record, his performance drew encouragement from millions of supporters both in Nigeria and around the world, particularly in New York City, where the event took place.
