Lagos is set to host a new international chess festival that will bring competitive play into contact with art, fashion, cultural heritage and entertainment, as Nigerian chess master Tunde Onakoya prepares to launch the Lagos International Chess Festival in October 2027.
The initiative places Lagos at the centre of an effort to position chess's appeal beyond traditional tournaments, with a programme designed to attract children, professional players, celebrities, artists and other enthusiasts. Its organisers intend to create an experience that reflects the city's cultural energy while giving the game a better public platform.
Onakoya unveiled the project on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the Mikano Motors showroom in Lagos, during an event celebrating his birthday. The presentation offered the first public look at the festival, which he described as an idea entering its practical phase.
“This is the starting point, the visual reality of the first edition,” he said, acknowledging both his excitement and the uncertainty that comes with launching a project of this scale. “I’m excited, a bit nervous and very curious, but I know that, like everything else we’ve done, we have to have faith in our ideas.”
The planned activities will take the festival beyond conventional chess competition. Organisers expect to stage an exhibition combining chess and art, a large-scale children's tournament, grandmaster matches and a celebrity chess contest. The programme will also feature a chess and fashion event, a celebration of Lagos and a chess game aboard a boat.
The city's identity is also built into the festival's branding. Its logo brings together the Eyo masquerade, an emblem associated with Lagos culture, and the chess rook, a piece recognised by players around the world. The colours were selected to reflect the vibrancy of the city, giving the festival a visual identity rooted in its host location.
Representatives of Mikano, Landmark Africa Group, Lufthansa, Hennessy, The Plug Global Agency and Chess in Slums Africa attended the unveiling. Their presence at the event brought together interests spanning business, lifestyle, international travel and chess advocacy.
The festival draws on Onakoya's conviction that has informed his work for years: chess can create opportunities for people who might otherwise have limited access to them. He founded Chess in Slums Africa, a non-profit organisation that uses the game to provide educational opportunities for children from disadvantaged communities.
“Chess has given me a way to find my place in the world, and I want to share that. It is a beautiful game, and it has the power to bring people together,” he said.
That outlook has helped define his public work beyond the competitive chess circuit. In April 2024, Onakoya gained international recognition after setting a Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon with Puerto Rican chess master Shawn Martinez.
The record attempt took place in New York's Times Square between April 17 and 20. The two players competed for more than 61 hours, surpassing the previous record of 61 hours, three minutes and 34 seconds, set by Norwegian players Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad in June 2024. Although the marathon was initially intended to last 70 hours, it ended after Onakoya and Martinez secured the record.
The achievement brought global attention to Onakoya and his work, while the forthcoming Lagos festival represents a different undertaking: building an event that connects chess with the cultural life of a major Nigerian city.
Its first edition is scheduled for October 2027. The festival's eventual reach will depend on its execution and ability to attract participants and audiences, but its announced programme sets out an ambition that extends beyond the chessboard, using a game played across continents to showcase Lagos culture and create new avenues for participation.
No comments:
Post a Comment