Tunde Onakoya, a Nigerian genius, who holds the Guinness World Record for the longest marathon chess game, is set to meet Deborah Quickpen in a ‘mother of chess battle’ on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
The chess game is meant to promote education and unlock potential in many children across the country.
Onakoya described the upcoming match against Deborah Quickpen, the 12-year-old women’s candidate master in a three-hour chess match as the ‘hardest match yet.’
In a post on his official X on Thursday, June 6, 2024, Onakoya states; “I have faced many tough opponents, but this will undoubtedly be my hardest match yet. I can categorically say that she is the future of chess in Nigeria,”
Speaking further on the fight, he said the proceeds will be directed towards expanding the reach and impact of Chess in Nigeria,
“This match is a testament to the potential that lies within every child,” he said.
Quickpen, who will be representing Nigeria at the upcoming FIDE Chess World Cup in Georgia next month, is regarded as the country’s number one chess prodigy, Onakoya pointed out.
Quickpen is currently ranked number one in Nigeria and fourth in Africa across all female age groups. She is the current Nigeria National Women’s Chess Champion, the youngest person to hold that title in Nigerian chess history.
Onakoya further noted that despite her young age, she has already achieved the impressive title of Women’s Candidate Master.
Onakoya’s post comes on the heels of his record-breaking achievement last month.
On April 20, he attempted to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest marathon chess game and succeeded, surpassing the previous record of 56 hours and 9 minutes set by Norwegian players in 2018.
In a post on his official X account, Onakoya shared his excitement about the feat, stating, “We have done it. We’re pushing to 60 hours guys. We’re not stopping yet. Let’s keep going.”
The grandmaster’s attempt was driven by a cause to raise funds and awareness for providing educational opportunities to underprivileged children across Africa.
“We have a fundraising goal to meet for the education of African children around the world. This is our why – the reason we are doing this,” he wrote.
