Five years after his inspiring rise from a Manhattan homeless shelter to national chess fame, 14-year-old Tani Adewumi has reached another milestone—earning the International Master title. At the NYC Chess Norms Spring 2025 tournament, the Nigerian-American phenom crossed the 2400 FIDE rating threshold, fulfilling the final requirement for his IM title (pending official FIDE confirmation). With four IM norms already secured, only the grandmaster title now stands in his way.
Adewumi’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. After learning chess at age eight, he stunned the world by winning the New York State Scholastic Primary Championship while living in a shelter. His story went viral, leading to a $250,000 crowdfunding campaign that helped his family rebuild their lives. His memoir, My Name Is Tani… and I Believe in Miracles, became a testament to his resilience.
Since then, he’s faced elite competition—beating IM Levy Rozman, competing alongside Magnus Carlsen at the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Championship, and earning the National Master title at just 10. Though his rating fluctuated around 2350 for over a year, his recent surge past 2400—sealed with a clutch win over GM Oliver Barbosa—proves his unwavering determination.
Now, Adewumi sets his sights on the grandmaster title, needing three norms and a 2500+ rating. If he wins his final two games in the current tournament, he could snag his first GM norm. A ChessKid ambassador and host of Tani Time, he continues inspiring young players worldwide.