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12-Year-Old Chess Master Tani Adewumi And His Family Granted Asylum In U.S.

An 8-year-old Nigerian immigrant named Tanitoluwa “Tani” Adewumi became a chess champion while experiencing poor housing conditions in New York. After living in shelters for years, Adewumi and his family have been granted asylum to stay in the U.S.

According to The Washington Post, Adewumi and his family sought asylum in the U.S. after leaving their home in Nigeria. The family decided to escape the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram in 2017.

Despite a tumultuous journey, Adewumi poured his talents into the game of chess. In the third grade, he competed and won the state championship against 73 other players in his age group. During his fifth-grade year, Adewuni became the youngest to secure the title of national chess master.

The first wind of viral attention that helped the young chess player gain asylum came after a chess win. A GoFundMe account created by his father received $257,179 in donations, surpassing the original goal of $50,000.

Source: 12-Year-Old Chess Master Tani Adewumi And His Family Granted Asylum In U.S.