Tanitoluwa Adewumi, a 13-year-old chess kid, has made a significant achievement in his young career by winning the 2024 U.S. Cadet Championship. The tournament, held near Chicago, Illinois, brought together the top eight junior players under 16, all of whom were titled players.
Tani‘s impressive performance saw him finish with a 6/7 score, two points ahead of the second-place finisher. His victories included four consecutive wins, followed by two draws, and a thrilling final-round win where he sacrificed an exchange for a deadly attack.
This national title comes with a $1,000 cash prize and a $10,000 scholarship, split equally between the Dewain Barber Foundation and US Chess, to support his future education.
Tani‘s journey to the top is a remarkable one. He learned chess just a few years ago while living in a homeless shelter, and his rapid progress earned him recognition from the New York Times when he won the New York State Championship in his division.
With this latest victory, he has completed the norms required for the International Master title and needs to reach a FIDE rating of 2400 to achieve the title. His current live rating puts him just 14 points away, and his career-high rating of 2370 in May 2024 is expected to increase by 50.8 points to 2386 after this tournament.
As a ChessKid ambassador, Tani inspires young players through his show “Tani Time” and articles on ChessKid. His dedication and talent have made him a role model for kids everywhere, and his future in chess looks bright.
