Tunde Onakoya credits chess for his first trip outside Nigeria in 2022.
Onakoya set out on Wednesday to break the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest chess marathon.
The marathon chess match was staged in Times Square in New York City, USA.
The chess master wanted to play various games for 58 hours without losing.
He announced his attempt with the goal of empowering uneducated children in Africa.
Onakoya completed the feat in the early hours of Saturday.
During the ceremony, the child education advocate shared that he grew up in the slums.
Onakoya said the first time he boarded an aircraft to leave Lagos, Nigeria, was two years ago.
He stated that playing chess helped him realize his full potential.
“What we are advocating for is that there are millions of children without access to opportunities like us,” he said.
“And it is important that they feel seen just like the way the rest of the world sees me now because of my capacity to do this thing that everyone seems so marvelled by.
“But in actual reality, I also grew up in the slums like these kids. The first time I ever left Lagos was just two years ago.
“The first time I ever got on a plane to leave my country was two years ago. Chess gave me an opportunity to find out what I could truly become.
“And I think that’s the greatest gift that you could ever give anyone, by helping them see their potential.”
Onakoya founded Chess in Slums Africa, a non-profit initiative.
The chess master previously stated that the “ultimate goal” of his world record attempt was to raise $1 million.
He stated that the money will be used to improve the lives of disadvantaged children throughout Africa.
As of the time of this report, the fundraiser has garnered over $108,000.
