Chess champion Onakoya quits X over emotional strain

Nigerian chess champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has announced his decision to step away from 𝕏 (Twitter), citing the need to protect his mental and emotional well-being.

Onakoya, celebrated for using chess to transform the lives of children in disadvantaged communities, explained that the constant negativity on the platform had become overwhelming.

In a message to his followers on Thursday night, he said the online space had grown “too heavy” and was taking a toll on him.

“This place has grown too heavy for me. As an empath, I feel too much darkness in the world pressing in. I’ll be stepping away for a while as I must guard my heart,” Onakoya wrote.

Although he will no longer be active on 𝕏 for now, Onakoya assured that he remains reachable via email and will continue to share updates through Instagram.

“If it’s important, shoot me an email: [email protected]. I’ll continue to share my thoughts on Instagram,” he added.