A 9-Year-Old Refugee Wins NY Chess Championship That Changed His Life

Tanitoluwa Adewumi playing chess with his brother in their new house on Sept. 21 Tal Atzmon/NTD Television
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NEW YORK—In a nearly new apartment in Midtown Manhattan, in the corner of a fully decorated room, there is an old-fashioned chessboard.

In March, Tanitoluwa “Tani” Adewumi was known as the homeless chess boy, but his life changed after winning his first New York State Scholastic Championships tournament for his age group.