11-Year-Old Nigerian New Yorker, Tanitoluwa Adewumi Becomes a United States National Chess Master
Having being discovered a few years ago as just a ‘homeless’ genius in chess, young Tanitoluwa Adewumi‘s journey to limelight began – gaining both national international recognition and now has being named a United States National Chess Master.
Tanitoluwa was born in 2010, somewhere in Nigeria but the family moved to Manhattan, New York in 2017, where they were given a place to stay in a homeless shelter with the help of a local pastor. Tanitoluwa was enrolled in an elementary school where he was taught a chess game by his chess teacher he grew fond of.
His family fully pledged their support to his new-found career, and he never disappointed as he had stacked their home with trophies.
“Who could imagine a fifth-grader. A former Nigerian refugee that is as young as Tanitoluwa that is yet to have a roof over his head making it big. I believe he can achieve his biggest dream which is becoming a grandmaster, that’s amazing.” A columnist from the New York Times praised Tani.
According to the United States Chess Federation, any player with 2200 rating with 300 games is worthy of the ‘Master‘ title which Tanitoluwa happens to be the newest on the list.
Seeing a young kid at that age attain that title in which he shared with at least 19 years of age as an average player, he is believed to bag Grandmaster title before the age of 19 since he needs 2500 points to get there.
Recalled that show host, Trevor Noah will be producing a movie about a young homeless New Yorker in the Chess Championship that rose to fame.
Reports had that Paramount Pictures already secured rights for the filming. Among projects that revolves around Tanitoluwa’s life are a book announced to be released that tells a tale of family that escaped his land because of violent violence from terrorists sect.