USA’s Newest IM Tani Adewumi: How I Won The Title

There aren't many chess players who are featured in the New York Times, have met former U.S. presidents, and have had their book sold to a major Hollywood studio. Tani Adewumi did all of that before he became a teenager!

With the recent news of Tani earning the IM title, it seemed a prudent time to sit down with the longtime ChessKid ambassador. It wasn't that long ago that he played in his first-ever invitational tournament in the winter of 2022, then he quickly picked up two norms before finishing off the requirements earlier this year.

He talked with Chess.com about everything from his recent successes to his upcoming first trip to Europe. You probably can't guess what cultural experience he is most looking forward to!

Chess.com: Chess.com is so pleased to be joined by now International Master-Elect Tanitoluwa Adewumi. We call him Tani of course. He's also a ChessKid ambassador, and he's got some big news. We've featured it on the news pages recently—he just made the international master title. So Tani, welcome. My first question—I have to ask, of course, how did it feel the moment you knew you had broken the 2400 live rating and had made the title? 

Tani: It felt really good. I was quite happy for my achievement. So I would say I felt happy. 

Chess.com: Now going into the tournament, your rating was something like 2350, maybe 2360. That's a pretty significant jump, right, to get 40 points in an event? So, at the beginning of the tournament, were you even thinking that this could be the event where you could achieve that 2400 rating? 

Tani: I mean, yes, I did think of it. But after, I got in the fifth round, I wasn't too focused on IM. I didn't even know I got IM! I wasn't too focused on it. Because I was on pace to get a GM norm, so that was still ahead of my mind.

Chess.com: Yeah, such a complicated event. Let's talk about that. You started out with 4.5 out of 5, you were chasing the 2400 rating, you were chasing a GM norm, and you were trying to win the tournament. Was it hard to focus on the games, given that there were those three extra factors to think about? 

Tani: I mean, winning the tournament was not as important to me. Gaining your rating—[my mind] was there. And also getting the GM norm, it does put psychological pressure on me. But I tried to balance it as well as I could. 

Chess.com: And you did great. You ended up, of course, winning the tournament. What was your best move or your best sequence of moves in this tournament that you made the title in? 

Tani: Best sequence. I played [GM] Oliver Barbosa in the fifth round. That was the round I had to win to get the title. I got low on time very early, and I played Ne6 and Qe3, and those were only moves to actually gain the advantage. So I would say that was like a really big turning point. After I made those two moves, it was just like surreal because it felt like a draw this whole game and now I actually had a chance of winning. And again, in my mind, (if) I would win, I would get the IM title with this win.

Chess.com: And for those of you only watching this video, we're gonna actually show that game in the Chess.com article, so make sure that you check that out.

Chess.com: Now Tani, I know you reasonably well. I've been to your apartment and everything, and I know all the work you've put in. But this accomplishment came with a lot of, like I said, work on your part and perseverance. Can you tell everyone how much you work on chess every week? 

Tani: Every week, I would say I work maybe, you're talking about seven days, right? 

Chess.com: Yeah, like a typical week. 

Tani: A typical week, maybe, it could go, maybe 10.5 hours a week. Which it might seem like very little, but if you just focus, like a certain amount of time per day and put all your effort into that amount of time, it's gonna be so, so much more than, like, doing five hours a day. 

Chess.com: Got it, yeah, and I know you're in high school now and you're having to balance a lot of things, and we'll talk about that in just a minute, but, what about this past year? OK, you've been, you've had the four norms, and you've been chasing the rating. What have you been working on most in the past year? What aspect of your game? 

Tani: On calculation. I would say calculation. Just get as good as I can at calculation cause calculation is super important. 

Chess.com: How do you improve on calculation? What's your personal method? 

Tani: Puzzles are super helpful, they help a lot. Even since I started chess and so now they still help tremendously. 

Chess.com: You said you spent, you know, 10.5 hours in a typical week on chess. I know it can vary a lot depending on what's going on in your life, but there's also so much other chess being played, these days. You know, there's tournaments that lead to the world championship, there's regular open tournaments, there's streamers just having fun online. Do you follow any of these aspects of chess, or do you focus mostly on your own game? 

Tani: I watch top tournaments, like, the Freestyle Chess Tour is currently happening, and I'm following that tournament too. I mean, I follow just really top tournaments and really nothing else. And (only) when it comes to like the chess aspect, like I'm not looking like this and that. I'll follow some open top tournaments most of the time. And focus mainly on what I'm doing in my next tournaments I'm gonna play. 

Chess.com: Now there was a story a couple of years ago about how high school kids were getting distracted playing chess during class. I know you may or may not have a smartphone when you come to school, but have you ever been tempted to play chess during class? I promise I'm not trying to get you in trouble with your teachers. 

Tani: During class, no, actually, never. Really nothing, yeah. 

Chess.com: OK, you're safe with your teachers. Now you've got a really big trip coming up—your first time playing internationally, and correct me if I'm wrong, I think it's your first time outside of the USA since you moved here. So can you tell us about your plans for your big European, I'm not gonna say vacation, cause you'll be at work, but tell us about your plans this summer in Europe. 

Tani: So I'm gonna go to Switzerland and play Biel. I'm going to play the Masters tournament there. So far, that's what I have planned and hopefully I do well. 

Chess.com: Great, what are you looking forward to besides just the chess? I mean, is there anything you know about the country of Switzerland that intrigues you, the food or the the scenery or anything? 

Tani: Yeah, Toblerone! I've tried before, but I wanna try authentic Switzerland. Is it Toblerone? Am I saying it right? 

Chess.com: Toblerone, the chocolate? Yeah. I think that it's modeled after a mountain peak. I don't actually know what it's modeled after, but the chocolate is good, and you're gonna have some cheesy fondue and you're gonna love it, I'm sure.

Tani: I've tried eating a Toblerone before, but, just getting an authentic one, that would be good. 

Chess.com: OK, cool, save us some chocolate. We did mention you have a new school this year. You got into one of the great prep schools of New York, Columbia Grammar, which has quite a storied chess program. I know that recently Grandmasters Marc Arnold and Hans Niemann went there. So tell us, how do you like high school and how do you like your chess team? 

Tani: It's great. We just won the New York State Chess Championship recently. That was pretty good. We went to Saratoga (Springs), and we won by, I believe, 3 or 3.5 points. That was a smooth victory for us, and I mean, school is great. 

Chess.com: Well, actually, your team is awesome, as you said, and you're all going to the Supernationals event. You have another IM on your team, Nico Chasin. You've got several other national masters on your team, including Megan Paragua, who's a friend of ChessKid [Ed: Now FM Megan Paragua!], well known to people that follow ChessKid activities. Do you think your team is the favorite in Orlando at Supernationals? 

Tani: I don't know, we'll see, we'll see. 

Chess.com: OK, professional answer. What about school in general? What's your favorite subject and what's your least favorite subject in school? 

Tani: It depends on the teacher. Just generally for me, I'm not too keen on English. But really, it doesn't matter as much to me. Just get my work done.

Chess.com: Cool. Is it harder to balance your chess studies now that you're in high school, and I presume that the workload has increased? 

Tani: Yeah, I mean, more homework, more class work, more and more things to do. And it's high school, so you have to get involved in a lot of things. 

Chess.com: Yes, you certainly do. Make sure to put chess on your college application. They tend to love that. Now, again, I did come to your apartment a few years ago and you were playing every sport, just with your friends. You were playing basketball, football, volleyball, and since then you've met Roger Federer, you've shot hoops at a Boston Celtics game. So tell us, if you had to turn pro in an athletic sport and not chess, which one would you pick? 

Tani: Basketball. 

Chess.com: Why is that?

Tani: NBA cause it's just, it's the most fun sport for me and most competitive. It's just a really fun sport. I like basketball. 

Chess.com: OK, great. Now finally I'll get you out of here with a fun question. Actually, I should say an intriguing question for people that know you well. Your fame kind of became legendary, it became cemented when you won the New York Scholastic Championship, the K-3 section, when you were eight years old. Now you've had six years of hard work behind you. So now that you know some stuff that you didn't know then, what advice would you give the next eight-year-old? Because you're going to have fans that come up to you at Supernationals. What advice would you give them to achieve their dreams in chess, whether it's master or grandmaster or anything else? 

Tani: Always be dedicated. Dedication is super key. If you want to do something, you're going to have to put in the time, you have to put in the work. It won't just come by itself. 

Chess.com: And I know how dedicated you are to chess, so, we kind of hope your jump shot doesn't work out, so you stay in the chess world. But anyway, if you do make the NBA, make sure to save me some front row seats. It was a pleasure talking to you. 

Tani: That is my best attribute!

Chess.com: Your jump shot?

Tani: My shooting is my best attribute.

Grant Williams of Boston Celtics invited Tanitoluwa to his team game vs Toronto Raptors on Saturday. ⁦@Grant2Will⁩ ⁦@ChessKidcom⁩ pic.twitter.com/7WiV915UCF

— kayode Adewumi (@kadewumi) April 10, 2023

Chess.com: OK, well, that's good to know. We're gonna have to figure out a way to do some chess basketball at Supernationals. So, anybody out there who will be in Orlando, you can see Tani then. Don't distract him from his games. He'll also be in Switzerland. Tani, it was fun catching up with you and thanks for your time. 

Tani: Thank you.