How Tunde Onakoya Leverages The Power of Chess For Change

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Tunde Onakoya grew up in Ikorodu, Lagos- a place where dreams often fade before they begin. But even as life closed in, Tunde dared to imagine something bigger: for himself, and for all the children society had left behind. He taught himself @chess in a barber’s shop. In 2018, he turned that childhood game into Chess in Slums Africa, a grassroots movement that began with a few boards and a lot of belief. What followed was nothing short of radical: from teaching kids in underserved communities how to play, to helping them focus, find purpose, and build futures. In 2024, Tunde captured the world’s attention with a 58-hour chess marathon in Times Square, breaking the @guinnessworldrecords and raising funds for the mission. But his journey didn’t start there — and it doesn’t end there either. In this episode of Overnight Success, we talk about the long game: patience, precision, and vision. And how Tunde Onakoya became an overnight success — one move at a time. This episode was taped in front of a live audience and was made possible by FSDH and Adegbola Art Projects.