8-Year-Old Refugee Living In Shelter Is Crowned Chess Champion

MURRAY HILL, NY — A GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly $170,000 in just three days for the family of a third-grade Nigerian refugee living in a homeless shelter who won a statewide chess championship earlier this month.

Tanitoluwa Adewumi and his family left northern Nigeria in 2017, fearful of attacks from the Boko Haram, the New York Times wrote. When they arrived in New York City, they moved into a homeless shelter and 8-year-old Tani began attending P.S. 116 in Murray Hill.

The local elementary school, located on East 33rd St. and Second Ave., has a chess program, led by Russell Makofsky.

The boy's mother, Oluwatoyin Adewumi, explained to the school's chess club she couldn't pay for the program since she was living in a shelter, the Times wrote.

Makofsky waived the fees and, one year later, the third-grader is a rising chess star.

"I want to be the youngest grandmaster," Tani told the Times.

In mid-March, he won the New York State Scholastic Championships for his age group without a single defeat.

"His eyes lit up" when Tani realized he won, Shawn Martinez, his chess coach, told NBC 4 New York.

A GoFundMe campaign raised $168,803 from 3,056 contributors in just three days by Tuesday afternoon for the family to move into a new home. The family said in an update on the campaign that they want to start the Tanitoluwa Adewumi Foundation with the money as well.

You can still donate here.

In a message on the GoFundMe page, the chess player's family wrote: "Our appreciation goes to his school (PS116, Manhattan), the Principal, Teachers, Students and every other staff. God bless you all."

Note: Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.