The Nigerian chess master is taking a game that changed his life into new spaces, from community education to global fashion, with plans to bring the world’s chess community to Lagos.
Before Paris Fashion Week, there was a neighbourhood barbershop in Ikorodu, where Tunde Onakoya first encountered chess while out of school because his family could not afford the fees. In October 2026, his birthday month, the Nigerian chess master and Guinness World Record holder travelled to Paris at the invitation of the luxury house Hermès. They announced plans for the Lagos International Chess Festival, bringing his journey back to the city where it began.
Born in Lagos and raised in Isale Odo, Ikorodu, Onakoya learned chess by watching a barber play with friends. The game became a source of discovery, eventually taking him into competitive chess and earning him the title of National Master. In 2018, he founded Chess in Slums Africa, using chess to create opportunities for children in underserved communities through education and mentorship.
In April 2024, Onakoya played chess continuously for 60 hours in New York’s Times Square, setting a Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon while raising support for children’s education across Africa.
His relationship with chess has since become more social. At Good Move, a weekly chess club launched at PANU Lagos in September 2026, Tuesday gatherings bring experienced players and newcomers together to play and connect beyond formal competition.
Onakoya’s signature fila, Nigerian fabrics and contemporary tailoring have also become part of his public identity, carrying his Lagos roots into international fashion spaces.
Now, he wants Lagos to welcome the world. The Lagos International Chess Festival is scheduled for October 2027, with plans to make it an annual event that combines chess tournaments with art, fashion, and cultural experiences. For Onakoya, the next chapter is about giving the game that opened doors for him a bigger home of its own.
