IMTanitoluwa Adewumi

Tanitoluwa Adewumi, known as Tani, moved from Nigeria to New York with his family in 2017 after threats from Boko Haram. While they were living in a homeless shelter, he discovered chess at P.S. 116. Coach Shawn Martinez introduced him to the game, and Russell Makofsky waived the school club's fees. After about a year of playing, Tani won the 2019 New York State K-3 championship with an unbeaten 5½/6. Reporting on the victory prompted donations and offers of accommodation for his family. His memoir, My Name Is Tani … and I Believe in Miracles, appeared in 2020. He became a U.S. national master at ten in 2021. That year, he also won the North American under-12 championship. His family received asylum in 2022, allowing him to travel abroad for tournaments. Although he earned three International Master norms that year, a rule change meant he needed an additional norm from an open Swiss event. He obtained it at the 2024 Southwest Class Championship and completed the remaining requirements in 2025. He earned his first Grandmaster norm at the 2026 Saint Louis Masters.