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In New York City’s Times Square, Nigerian chess champion Tunde Onakoya and US chess champion Shawn Martinez played chess for 60 hours straight.
Onakoya’s goal was to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon and raise $1 million for children’s education in Africa.
The players started their record-breaking attempt on Wednesday, April 17. Onakoya originally planned to play for 58 hours, but the pair kept going until they hit 60 hours on Saturday at 12:40 a.m. This beat the previous record of 56 hours and 9 minutes set by two Norwegians in 2018.
The Guinness World Record organization has not confirmed Onakoya and Martinez’s attempt yet. It can take a few weeks to verify new records.
Onakoya founded Chess in Slums Africa in 2018. He said this record attempt is for the millions of African children who can’t go to school. His goal is to help at least 1 million children living in slums.
Many people cheered for Onakoya both online and in person.
Onakoya stayed energized with lots of water and jollof rice, a popular West African dish. He and Martinez could take a five-minute break for every hour they played. Onakoya used these breaks to talk and dance with his supporters.
In the first 20 hours, they raised $22,000. He said the support from Nigerians in the U.S., global leaders, celebrities, and passersby was overwhelming.
In Nigeria, where Onakoya organizes chess competitions for kids, people closely followed the event.
Many celebrities and public officials, including Nigeria’s former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, publicly supported Onakoya.
Vocabulary
- Chess – A strategy board game for two players where you move pieces on a board and try to trap your opponent’s king; ♟️
- Champion – the winner 🏆
- Straight – Without stopping
- Goal – aim or purpose; objective; target; something you want to achieve or complete
- Break a record – better or more extreme than anything that has come before
- Marathon – A long event or activity
- Million – 1,000,000 = one-million
- Education – the process of teaching and learning, giving knowledge and understanding
- Attempt – To try to do something
- Originally – at first; in the beginning;
- Pair – Two people working together
- Keep going – To continue doing something;
- Hit – To reach a certain number or amount; to come to a certain number or point
- Beat – to defeat an opponent or win a competition; to win a match/game against another person/team
- Previous – coming or occurring before something else; existing before in time or order; preceding
- Set a record – to achieve/do something better or more significant than anyone has done before; the most or least ever measured
- Organization – a group of people with one purpose; an agency; a society; company
- Verify – Confirm, prove, or show that something is true or accurate
- Found – To start or create something like a company or organization
- At least – The minimum or smallest amount/number of something
- Slum – a very poor and crowded area, especially in a city; an area of a city that is in very bad condition, where very poor people live
- Cheer – to make loud, happy noises to show support or excitement
- Dish – Food prepared in a particular way as part of a meal;
- Break – A short rest period from work or an activity;
- Raise – To collect money that you can use to do a particular job or help people;
- Global – related to the whole world; everywhere in the world; 🌍
- Leader – someone who is in charge of a group, organization or country; a boss or manager; a person who guides, directs, or commands a group
- Celebrity – a famous person
- Passerby – Someone who walks by a place
- Overwhelming – too much of something; to have a strong emotional effect; to cause stress
- Competition – contest; game to find the best or a winner; tournament
- Follow – To pay attention to something happening; to watch or keep track of something
- Event – an activity that is planned for a special purpose and usually involves a lot of people, for example, a meeting, party, trade show, or conference
- Public official – a person who works for the government
- Including – together with; as well as; part of a group or many; plus
- Vice president – a person who is under the president; the second most important person
- Publicly – Doing something where everyone can see or know about it; In a way that can be seen by everyone
Quiz
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Discussion Questions
- What are your thoughts on the use of such events for fundraising and awareness?
- Why do you think Tunde Onakoya chose chess to raise money for education?
- How can participating in activities like chess be beneficial for children?
- Should people be allowed to take breaks during record-breaking attempts? Why or why not?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
In New York City’s Times Square, _____ chess champion Tunde Onakoya and US chess champion Shawn Martinez played chess for _____ hours straight.
Onakoya’s goal was to _____ the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon and raise $1 _____ for children’s education in Africa.
The players started _____ record-breaking attempt on Wednesday, April 17. Onakoya originally planned to _____ for 58 hours, but the pair kept going until they hit 60 hours on Saturday at _____ a.m. This beat the previous record of 56 hours and 9 minutes _____by two Norwegians in 2018.
The Guinness World Record _____ has not confirmed Onakoya and Martinez’s attempt yet. It can _____ a few weeks to verify new records.
Onakoya _____ Chess in Slums Africa in 2018. He said this record attempt is for _____ millions of African children who can’t go to school. His _____ is to help at least 1 million children living in slums.
Many people _____ for Onakoya both online and in person.
Onakoya stayed energized with _____ of water and jollof rice, a popular West African dish. He and Martinez could _____ a five-minute break for every hour they played. Onakoya used these breaks to _____ and dance with his supporters.
In the first 20 hours, they _____ $22,000. He said the support from Nigerians in the U.S., global _____, celebrities, and passersby was overwhelming.
In _____, where Onakoya organizes chess competitions for kids, people closely followed the _____.
Many celebrities and public _____, including Nigeria’s former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, publicly _____ Onakoya.
