A homeless Nigerian refugee whose family is seeking asylum in the U.S. has been crowned a chess champion at just eight years old.
Tanitoluwa Adewumi, who goes by Tani, is riding high after becoming the newly-crowned chess champion for players in kindergarten through to Grade 3 at the New York State Chess Championships.
He went undefeated at the competition two weekends ago, beating out children from some of the country鈥檚 most elite private schools.
Tani鈥檚 family members, who are waiting for their asylum application to be accepted, feel 鈥渢remendous,鈥� his chess teacher Russell Makofsky, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.
The boy began playing chess shortly after arriving in the U.S. in 2017, while he was enrolled in school along with his older brother. Tani鈥檚 elementary school, P.S. 116, has a part-time chess teacher who taught his class how to play.
Makofsky, who oversees the school鈥檚 chess program, waived the club fees for the budding young chess genius. But Tani鈥檚 success happened despite a tough upbringing.
His family fled northern Nigeria due to fears over Boko Haram terrorizing Christians in the region, Tani鈥檚 father Kayode Adewumi told .
Tani told reporter Nicholas Kristof he now wanted to become 鈥渢he youngest grandmaster.鈥� And with his trajectory, it鈥檚 certainly possible.
Besides being a state chess champion, he鈥檚 already won seven trophies in several different competitions.
Makofsky added Tani鈥檚 family is eager to 鈥渂uild a life in America 鈥� [and] future in America.鈥� For now, Tani鈥檚 father helps pay the bills working as an Uber driver but recently earned his real estate licence.
After Tani鈥檚 win, Makofsky started a with the goal to raise enough money so Tani鈥檚 family can afford to live outside of a homeless shelter.
鈥淲hen he won that tournament -- and I found out that he was living in a homeless shelter -- it didn鈥檛 feel right,鈥� he said. So far, people have donated US$98,000, shattering his initial goal of US$50,000.
On the page, Makofsky wrote: 鈥淭ani is all heart,鈥� adding his family wants him to just keep getting better.
鈥淚鈥檓 overwhelmed. Tani鈥檚 overwhelmed. The family鈥檚 overwhelmed,鈥� he said. 鈥淸Their story has] touched the social consciousness of the world.鈥�
