Two years ago, Tanitoluwa “Tani” Emmanuel Adewumi was homeless. This spring, he became National Chess Master.

“I really love that I finally got it,” he says of his new title. Finally? Tani is only 10 years old!

In 2017, Tani’s family ran away from a dangerous Islamist group in Nigeria. The group is called Boko Haram. These terrorists threatened Tani’s family, who are Christians. It is not always safe to be known as a Christ follower in Nigeria.

Before coming to the United States, Tani started playing chess with paper pieces. His opponent? His older brother Austin.

In New York, the Adewumis lived in a Manhattan homeless shelter. Tani played chess at school, online, and anywhere he could. His mother told him success takes “patience and prayer.” But Tani didn’t have to wait long.

Tani plays chess with a bold, risky style. In 2019, Tani won the New York State Tournament. He was eight years old then. When asked how he plays, Tani smiles. “Aggressive,” he admits.

Tani practices for hours every day. Imagine you’re playing a board game. Do you ever think ahead to a move you might make on your next turn? When Tani plays chess, he thinks up to 20 moves ahead!

Even when he doesn’t win, Tani enjoys chess. “I say to myself that I never lose, that I only learn,” he says, according to an interview at churchleaders.com.

In May, Tani won an important tournament. That gave him enough points to earn the ranking of National Chess Master.

Tani isn’t finished. He aims to become the world’s youngest Grandmaster. Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can earn. The current record holder achieved his rank at 12 years, seven months. That gives Tani about 22 months to reach his goal.

“I thank God for everything that He’s done for our family,” Tani says.