Tanitoluwa Adewumi, a 10-year-old in New York, just became the country s newest national chess master.
At the Fairfield County Chess Club Championship tournament in Connecticut on May 1, Adewumi won all four of his matches, bumping his chess rating up to 2223 and making him the 28th youngest person to become a chess master, according to US Chess. I was very happy that I won and that I got the title, he says, I really love that I finally got it. Finally is after about three years the amount of time that Adewumi has been playing chess. When he started, Adewumi and his family were living in a homeless shelter in Manhattan after fleeing religious persecution by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in their home country of Nigeria.
Meet America’s Newest Chess Master, 10-Year-Old Tanitoluwa Adewumi
By Karen Zamora
May 11, 2021
Tanitoluwa Adewumi, a 10-year-old in New York, just became the country’s newest national chess master.
At the Fairfield County Chess Club Championship tournament in Connecticut on May 1, Adewumi won all four of his matches, bumping his chess rating up to 2223 and making him the 28th youngest person to become a chess master, according to US Chess.
“I was very happy that I won and that I got the title,” he says, “I really love that I finally got it.”
“Finally” is after about three years the amount of time that Adewumi has been playing chess. When he started, Adewumi and his family were living in a homeless shelter in Manhattan after fleeing religious persecution by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in their home country of Nigeria.
Listen • 4:01
Tanitoluwa Adewumi, pictured in 2019, just became the newest national chess master in the U.S. at age 10.
Tanitoluwa Adewumi, a 10-year-old in New York, just became the country s newest national chess master.
At the Fairfield County Chess Club Championship tournament in Connecticut on May 1, Adewumi won all four of his matches, bumping his chess rating up to 2223 and making him the 28th youngest person to become a chess master, according to US Chess. I was very happy that I won and that I got the title, he says, I really love that I finally got it. Finally is after about three years the amount of time that Adewumi has been playing chess. When he started, Adewumi and his family were living in a homeless shelter in Manhattan after fleeing religious persecution by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in their home country of Nigeria.
€29.90
Undefeated
Now that we know that Ian Nepomniachtchi will be Magnus Carlsen’s next challenger for the world title, much has been talked about who might pose the biggest threat to the Norwegian in a match for the world crown. Carlsen himself was asked that question and, as he has mentioned multiple times in the past, he admitted that Fabiano Caruana might be the biggest threat, although he also considers Nepo, Ding Liren, Anish Giri and an in-form Wesley So to be strong contenders.
Note that Carlsen mentioned So’s form. The world champion, as anybody who has been following chess closely in the last decade or so, know what the Filipino-born star is capable of doing when he is at top form. This assessment, of course, also implies that there are periods of time in which So seems to struggle with motivation and has a tough time fighting for the top spots in elite tournaments. Nonetheless, the ever-humble grandmaster is a force to be reckoned with.