Nigeria is a country with a lot of talented people, and most of these talents find a place to shine in the world of sports. A good example is Tunde Onakoya, who caused the world to pause not just once but twice when he broke the world record for a chess marathon.
However, despite the growing popularity of chess in the country, Nigeria doesn’t have a grandmaster. Shocking, but even Tunde Onakoya, who has had the biggest impact on the chess community in the country and continent, doesn’t have a GM title to his name.
Although this feels unbelievable, it is quite explainable, given the lack of infrastructure, poor government interests, and a chess culture that’s fighting to survive.
But despite these challenges, the chess community in Nigeria still has talents that could become Nigeria’s first Grandmaster, and the closest candidate is Tanitoluwa (Tani) Adewumi.
Tani was faced with the same insecurity that haunts millions of families across the country, leaving his family with two options: run or be swallowed by a war they didn’t start.
His family’s choice altered his life’s story and placed him on a path no one could have predicted.
Growing Up in Nigeria
Before the world knew his smile, Tanitoluwa Adewumi, famously known as “Tani”, was just a little boy growing up in Nigeria. He is the second child of Kayode James and Oluwatosin Kuburat Adewumi.
Tani’s father ran a print shop while his mom was an accountant.
Growing up, all Tani knew was family. He hadn’t even been introduced to chess, and his parents did their best to provide a solid moral, cultural, and religious background despite the instability and insecurity in the country.
However, things soon reached a tipping point for Tani’s family as they met face-to-face with Boko Haram, a terrorist group in Nigeria, and had to search for a new home.
In Search of a New Home
Tani and his family fled Nigeria in 2017 after they escaped Boko Haram. Tani’s father, Kayode, recalls his encounter with the terrorist group when they ordered him to produce posters for them in his print shop. Kayode refused, and he knew the family would be in grave danger if they remained in the country.
They fled to Dallas, Texas, on a tourist visa, which they had previously secured, and with the help of a local pastor, they got a place in a homeless shelter.
This was a chance at a new life, and for Tani, it was the beginning of his chess journey, as it was at the shelter that he laid eyes on a chessboard for the first time.
Coming to America
When Tani’s family first arrived in the United States, they were chasing safety. They landed in New York with nothing but a few belongings and a fragile hope for asylum.
Their first residence was a homeless shelter in Manhattan, but even in that uncertainty, something miraculous happened. Tani found chess, the game that would change everything. Through chess, his family got donations to leave the homeless shelter, while Tani became part of a thriving chess community that supported their own in every way possible.
With that support came success. Tani competed in US tournaments and trained under American coaches, going from a novice to a prodigy. While he was making waves in the chess community, the US government granted his family’s request for asylum.
Today, Tanitoluwa Adewumi is officially an American citizen, and he plays for the United States Chess Federation.
Becoming A Chess Phenom
Tani first discovered chess at the homeless shelter, and he fell in love with it. He loved the strategy and creativity.
As he was learning the basics of the sport, Tani began to play at school, and when Shawn Martinez, the head chess coach at P.S. 116 (an elementary school in Manhattan), saw his passion, they asked his mom about enrolling him in the chess club.
While Tani’s mother appreciated the opportunity, she quickly informed Shawn that the $330 entry fee was too high for the family, given their condition. When Tani’s mother explained the family’s situation to Russell Makofsky, who ran the club, he waived the fee, and that was how Tani’s chess education began.
In the following months, Tani attended training after school to develop his skills, after which he would practice on his own for hours. He didn’t start winning immediately. In fact, he had the lowest estimated rating in his first tournament, but he showed signs of improvement, which opened the way for a flurry of trophies for him a year later.
Becoming an Elite Junior
Tani’s first chess tournament was in 2018, and as a novice, he didn’t have the best tournament, but he stuck to the factors within his control, practicing nonstop until he mastered the sport.
A year after his first tournament, Tani had won seven trophies, the biggest being the 2019 K-3 (kindergarten to grade three) New York State chess championship, which he won at the age of eight.
That win caught the attention of the media. He won the event outright with a score of 5.5/6 (five wins, one draw, no losses).
On May 1st, 2021, at 10 years old, Tani made history when he became the 28th youngest person to achieve the status of national master. By this time, his Elo rating has crossed 2200.
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
In August, he won the under-12 division of the North American Youth Chess Championship, and by November, he became a FIDE master.
In April 2022, he earned his first IM Norm at the New York Spring Invitational Norm event. Later that same year, in July, Tani won the IM C event at the New York Summer Invitational, and by November, he earned a third IM norm, scoring 5.5/9 at the 2022 New York Fall Invitational in the GM B event. He earned his IM title in April 2025.
Tani’s success has garnered attention both inside and outside the chess world. He has been interviewed by the New York Times, earned praise from top chess figures, and secured an invitation to meet former U.S President Bill Clinton.
He has played friendly blitz games with GM Hikaru Nakamura, WGM Jennifer Yu, and GM Fabiano Caruana, while earning an ambassadorial role with ChessKids.
Tani has also collaborated with top chess content creators, recently featuring on Anna Cramling’s Facebook Channel, after beating top creators such as Gotham Chess and the Botez Sisters.
He also featured in the USA vs India Checkmate 2025 alongside GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Fabiano Caruana, IM Carissa Yip, and IM Levy Rozman. Tani played against IM Ethan Yaz, whom he beat, helping Team USA earn a 5-0 win to become Checkmate Champions.
Becoming The First “Nigerian” Grandmaster
Currently, Tani is an IM, one of the youngest in the world, and he is a few norms away from becoming a GM. Tani has already mentioned that he wants to become a GM, and a few years ago, he would’ve become the youngest to ever do it. That record is now held by Abhimanyu Mishra, who reached that level at the age of 12 years, four months, and 25 days old.
Tani is just a few hundred ELO points from being a GM, and if he achieves this goal, he will become Nigeria’s first Grandmaster. Although he currently represents the US, Tani still has Nigerian roots, and achieving the GM title will also be a win for Nigeria, which doesn’t have a GM.
Tani’s story isn’t over yet, and he isn’t satisfied with his current level of success. He is heavily focusing on reaching the GM status, and he’s also mentioned that he doesn’t mind doing more by becoming a world champion.
Whether he reaches these goals this year or next, his name will go down in chess history, and he stands as an American chess prodigy and Nigeria’s closest chance to having a grandmaster.
Who wrote this?
Wisdom Aghe is a creative whose passions include sports, video editing, writing and a little bit of design. With these skills and a curious mind, Wisdom takes interest in creating sports content and holding interesting sports conversations. He loves sports and it's his happy place. He spends his leisure time playing football, playing games and reading.
