A Homeless, 9 Year Old, Nigerian Refugee, Is Rising To The Top Of The Chess World

Tanitoluwa Adewumi, 9, went from chess novice to chess champion in little over a year.Christopher Lee for The New York Times

Some Good News About Our Young Chess Hero

Last year I wrote a couple of columns about a Nigerian refugee, Tanitoluwa Adewumi, who learned chess in his public elementary school and then, just a year later, beat kids from the elite private schools who normally dominate chess and won the New York state chess championship. Oh, and Tani was homeless, too!

The article led to an outpouring of support, and Tani and his family now have a home, and he has continued to progress in chess. At age 9, he now has a chess rating of 2049. In an international competition this week, Tani represented the United States and a Sri Lankan refugee represented Britain — a reminder of how much refugees enrich us. And Tani won! You can follow their games here and Tani’s new book, “My Name Is Tani, and I Believe in Miracles,” is for sale as well.