By: Alyssa Wilson

Tanitoluwa Adewumi, a 10-year-old boy from New York, is the newest national chess master in the United States. He won all four of his matches at the Fairfield County Chess Club Championship in Connecticut on May 1, NPR reported.  

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In 2017, his family fled Nigeria, afraid Boko Haram terrorists would attack them for being Christians. Two years later, Adewumi and his family lived in a homeless shelter. Despite the adversities he faced, he won the New York State chess championship in 2019.  

According to U.S. Chess, he is now ranked as the 2223rd chess player, and he’s the 28th youngest person to become a chess master.  

Remember Tani Adewumi, the Nigerian refugee kid I wrote about 2 years ago who won the NY State chess championship while in a homeless shelter? Now well housed (thanks to you readers!), he just won a championship and is officially a National Chess Master as a 10-yr-old 5th grader! pic.twitter.com/mbDCAGiFHb

— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) May 2, 2021

Adewumi is also the author of My Name is Tani …and I Believe in Miracles. The story documents his journey and experiences as a refugee–turned–champion while homeless. 

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His family no longer lives in a shelter. Adewumi practices chess every day after school for up to eleven hours. The story of his life has been acquired by Paramount for a film produced by Trevor Noah.