Tunde Onakoya, the Nigerian chess champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, has been featured in a new children’s biography, titled, Tunde Onakoya, The Chess Champion, authored by Lola Shoneyin and published by Ouida Books. The book was officially launched on May 27, 2025 at Ouida Books, Ikeja, Lagos.
The book an electric mix of illustrats, painting and drawings, it introduces young readers to Tunde’s inspiring journey from the slums of Lagos to a world record through chess. The book interrogates his story of grit, vision and impact from the chessboard. He recently set a Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon, playing for 64 hours in New York City’s Times Square alongside American chess player, Shawn Martinez.
An editor with Ouida books, Ms Mazeedah Olutosin, said: “The children’s book tells the story of one of Nigeria’s most remarkable figures in chess. Tunde had a brilliant mind and generous heart; he believed in the power of education and chess to inspire others, this book is his filled with dreams that will make you laugh, think and begin to feel like a champion.
“In 2021, Tunde coached thousands of children on how to play chess in his Chess in slum Africa, giving them confidence and dignity, reminding them what a true champion is.” She added, “this book reflects the life’s and dreams of Nigerian children, encouraging them to believe in themselves that their stories matters too.”
A publisher and author of children’s books, Mrs Bunmi Talabi-Aboderin, said, “it’s an amazing story that talks about role of parents in the life a child, the role of community and the role of an individual.”
She added, “the story didn’t start with Tunde, but his father, who was a danfo driver striving hard to meet the needs of the family. It may seem small in significance but children watch everything we do. The uniqueness and distinction started from his father. No matter where you start from, there is always a place to rise and achieve greatness. Tunde’s first time of seeing a chess board was in his community in a barber’s shop seeing old men play the game; what children see, sometimes, can either break them or put them on the right track.”
Onakoya, who expressed excitement about the book, said: “For the first time, the story of how I found magic on a chess board and used it to change the world is now a children’s book.”
He said, “my mom is the most important person in my life. She sacrificed her all for me and my siblings. She told me a proverb ‘I want you to be able to speak among your peers’. I never understood until now. Chess is more than a game, it’s my personality. It gave me a character, an intellectual one, and it made me believe that I could also be intellectually inclined. It also made me believe that I could also be a thinker through this game, finding my place in the world biggest stage.”
Special Adviser to Governor of Lagos, Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih-Awokoya, on launching the book, said Governor Sanwo-Olu loves children and the youth; he is also an average chess player.
She added, “On behalf of Lagos State, I would like to launch this exceptional book about an exceptional man, Tunde Onakoya, The Chess Champion, a musician and artist, his strength and character determined the type of person Tunde has turned to be, when the children open the book they are enlightened and encouraged to do more.”
