The Homeless Chess Champion
This story is about a remarkable boy from Nigeria who became a chess champion in the United States. You will learn about his family, how he learned to play chess, and how he excelled as a chess player. This story was originally written for The New York Times by Nicholas Kristof, a well-known journalist.
Eight-year-old Tani, a Nigerian refugee living in a Manhattan homeless shelter, proudly carried a large trophy to his room. Despite his uncertain future, he was filled with joy.
Tani had recently won first place in his division at the New York State chess championship. What was extraordinary about him was that he had learned chess just over a year ago. His dream was to become the youngest grand master.
Tani and his family left Nigeria in 2017 as refugees. The following year, they found a place in a homeless shelter in New York City with the help of a pastor. Tani entered a local elementary school, which had a chess teacher. He loved the game so much that he asked his mother to find out how he could join the chess club.
His mother sent an email to the club, expressing her son’s wish to join. She added that she could not pay the fees for the club because the family was living in a shelter. The person in charge of the club decided not to charge any fees. Soon after joining the club, Tani took part in his first tournament and had the lowest rating of all the participants. But his playing soon got better.
In the state tournament, which was held a year later, the coaches were shocked when he gave away a valuable piece. They checked the move with a computer. The computer showed that the move would improve his position several moves later.
“Tani’s story is a good example of how life’s challenges do not define a person,” said the principal of Tani’s school. Tani didn’t have a home, but he had caring parents who took him to every chess practice and he did his best.
Tani still faced difficult moments at times. He once came home in tears because his classmates had made fun of him for being homeless. Despite difficulties, however, he practiced chess every evening, preparing for the elementary national championship.
“He is so motivated,” said his school chess teacher. “He does 10 times more chess puzzles than other kids. He just wants to be better.”
The story of the 8-year-old refugee continued on. After I shared Tani’s story in my newspaper column, a fund drive I had started raised more than $200,000 for Tani and his family. Several readers offered housing. Out of the various housing offers, the family chose a modest apartment. A kind person offered to cover the rent for a whole year.
And the story got even better. Tani and his family made a selfless decision regarding the $200,000. They would keep 10 percent for themselves and donate 90 percent to their church, which had helped them when they were homeless. The rest of the funds would be used to help African immigrants struggling in the United States, just as Tani and his family had been not so long ago.
I asked Tani’s parents how they could turn down such a huge amount of money.
“We are hardworking people,” Tani’s father explained. He worked as a driver, as well as a real estate agent, and Tani’s mother had passed a course to become a home caregiver.
I asked Tani what he thought. He shrugged, saying, “I want to help other kids.”
I pressed him, asking, “Is there anything in particular you might like to have?” After a long silence, he said, “Maybe a computer.”
Tani was offered a full scholarship from top private schools. But he and his parents chose to stay loyal to the public elementary school, which taught him chess without asking for fees for the chess club.
I wondered: Is this kid really that good? It turns out he is. Now a fifth grader, Tani participated in a tournament in Connecticut, which was open to advanced players of all ages. Astonishingly, he came out as the winner of every game. He was granted the title of national master.
At age 10, Tani became the 28th-youngest chess master in the United States. Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion, said, “I’m delighted to see Tani’s rapid progress.”
We can be inspired by the wisdom of America’s newest chess master. I asked Tani how he feels when he loses.
“When I lose, I have made a mistake, and that can help me learn,” he told me. “I never lose. I learn.”
This story is about a remarkable boy from Nigeria who became a chess champion in the United States. You will learn about his family, how he learned to play chess, and how he excelled as a chess player. This story was originally written for The New York Times by Nicholas Kristof, a well-known journalist.
Eight-year-old Tani, a Nigerian refugee living in a Manhattan homeless shelter, proudly carried a large trophy to his room. Despite his uncertain future, he was filled with joy.
Tani had recently won first place in his division at the New York State chess championship. What was extraordinary about him was that he had learned chess just over a year ago. His dream was to become the youngest grand master.
Tani and his family left Nigeria in 2017 as refugees. The following year, they found a place in a homeless shelter in New York City with the help of a pastor. Tani entered a local elementary school, which had a chess teacher. He loved the game so much that he asked his mother to find out how he could join the chess club.
His mother sent an email to the club, expressing her son’s wish to join. She added that she could not pay the fees for the club because the family was living in a shelter. The person in charge of the club decided not to charge any fees. Soon after joining the club, Tani took part in his first tournament and had the lowest rating of all the participants. But his playing soon got better.
In the state tournament, which was held a year later, the coaches were shocked when he gave away a valuable piece. They checked the move with a computer. The computer showed that the move would improve his position several moves later.
“Tani’s story is a good example of how life’s challenges do not define a person,” said the principal of Tani’s school. Tani didn’t have a home, but he had caring parents who took him to every chess practice and he did his best.
Tani still faced difficult moments at times. He once came home in tears because his classmates had made fun of him for being homeless. Despite difficulties, however, he practiced chess every evening, preparing for the elementary national championship.
“He is so motivated,” said his school chess teacher. “He does 10 times more chess puzzles than other kids. He just wants to be better.”
The story of the 8-year-old refugee continued on. After I shared Tani’s story in my newspaper column, a fund drive I had started raised more than $200,000 for Tani and his family. Several readers offered housing. Out of the various housing offers, the family chose a modest apartment. A kind person offered to cover the rent for a whole year.
And the story got even better. Tani and his family made a selfless decision regarding the $200,000. They would keep 10 percent for themselves and donate 90 percent to their church, which had helped them when they were homeless. The rest of the funds would be used to help African immigrants struggling in the United States, just as Tani and his family had been not so long ago.
I asked Tani’s parents how they could turn down such a huge amount of money.
“We are hardworking people,” Tani’s father explained. He worked as a driver, as well as a real estate agent, and Tani’s mother had passed a course to become a home caregiver.
I asked Tani what he thought. He shrugged, saying, “I want to help other kids.”
I pressed him, asking, “Is there anything in particular you might like to have?” After a long silence, he said, “Maybe a computer.”
Tani was offered a full scholarship from top private schools. But he and his parents chose to stay loyal to the public elementary school, which taught him chess without asking for fees for the chess club.
I wondered: Is this kid really that good? It turns out he is. Now a fifth grader, Tani participated in a tournament in Connecticut, which was open to advanced players of all ages. Astonishingly, he came out as the winner of every game. He was granted the title of national master.
At age 10, Tani became the 28th-youngest chess master in the United States. Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion, said, “I’m delighted to see Tani’s rapid progress.”
We can be inspired by the wisdom of America’s newest chess master. I asked Tani how he feels when he loses.
“When I lose, I have made a mistake, and that can help me learn,” he told me. “I never lose. I learn.”