This 8-Year-Old Chess Champion Will Make You Smile

[SummerMadness]

This 8-Year-Old Chess Champion Will Make You Smile

In a homeless shelter in Manhattan, an 8-year-old boy is walking to his room, carrying an awkward load in his arms, unfazed by screams from a troubled resident. The boy is a Nigerian refugee with an uncertain future, but he is beaming.

He can’t stop grinning because the awkward load is a huge trophy, almost as big as he is. This homeless third grader has just won his category at the New York State chess championship.

Much of the news of the last week has focused on wealthy families buying access to great universities, either illegally through bribes or legally through donations. There is no question that America is a tilted playing field that gives wealthy children huge advantages.

So we should all grin along with Tanitoluwa Adewumi, the newly crowned chess champion for kindergarten through third grade. Hewent undefeated at the state tournament last weekend, outwitting children from elite private schools with private chess tutors.

 

[brinny]

You're right. I'm elated and delighted for Tanitoluwa Adewumi.

This made my day.

Thank you for posting it.

 

[brinny]

What help does he and his family need to escalate their "refugee" status/standing? (asylum request)

 

[mark kennedy]

Hopefully he will get a chance to go to a top school based on his merits.

 

[FireDragon76]

Good for him. Simply playing lots of chess can make up for not having a tutor.

Personally, I think the reputation of Harvard and Yale is undeserved, if one understands the history they play in encouraging elitism in this country, based on nothing more than race and religion.

 

[brinny]

Hopefully he will get a chance to go to a top school based on his merits.

i'm praying that his family is given "refugee status" real quick-like and that the attention given to Tani will shed attention on the family and doors of blessings and favor open.

Tani is precious and so is his family. (((hug)))

 

[brinny]

Good for him. Simply playing lots of chess can make up for not having a tutor.

Personally, I think the reputation of Harvard and Yale is undeserved, if one understands the history they play in encouraging elitism in this country, based on nothing more than race and religion.

i agree.

 

[FireDragon76]

Unfortunately, being good at chess in the US just doesn't translate into opening other doors, necessarily, it's not quite like being good at football. But I do think I'd rather trust a chessplayer than a football player to make wise decisions. So perhaps it should count more.

I think somebody like Gary Kasparov has a keen intellect that translates beyond the chessboard, that is just obvious when he talks about subjects like politics. And I think his chess skills are part of that because chess forces you to think about consequences to your actions, several steps removed from the actual action, and punishes impulsivity severely.

However, once in a while you get a real wierdo like Bobby Fisher, who was a self-hating Jew who was so paranoid and deluded that it was impossible for him to translate his genius off the chessboard.

 

[brinny]

Unfortunately, being good at chess in the US just doesn't translate into opening other doors, necessarily, it's not quite like being good at football. But I do think I'd rather trust a chessplayer than a football player to make wise decisions. So perhaps it should count more.

I think somebody like Gary Kasparov has a keen intellect that translates beyond the chessboard, that is just obvious when he talks about subjects like politics. And I think his chess skills are part of that because chess forces you to think about consequences to your actions, several steps removed from the actual action, and punishes impulsivity severely.

However, once in a while you get a real wierdo like Bobby Fisher, who was a self-hating Jew who was so paranoid and deluded that it was impossible for him to translate his genius off the chessboard.

You might be overthinking this a bit

 

[mark kennedy]

i'm praying that his family is given "refugee status" real quick-like and that the attention given to Tani will shed attention on the family and doors of blessings and favor open.

Tani is precious and so is his family. (((hug)))

Here is a picture of the little guy with his trophy

He reminds me of Josh Waitzkin, the young chess champion in Searching for Bobby Fischer:

 

[mark kennedy]

Unfortunately, being good at chess in the US just doesn't translate into opening other doors, necessarily, it's not quite like being good at football. But I do think I'd rather trust a chessplayer than a football player to make wise decisions. So perhaps it should count more.

I think somebody like Gary Kasparov has a keen intellect that translates beyond the chessboard, that is just obvious when he talks about subjects like politics. And I think his chess skills are part of that because chess forces you to think about consequences to your actions, several steps removed from the actual action, and punishes impulsivity severely.

However, once in a while you get a real wierdo like Bobby Fisher, who was a self-hating Jew who was so paranoid and deluded that it was impossible for him to translate his genius off the chessboard.

Bobby Fischer was a recluse, he couldn't handle all the attention. Children who show promise along these lines are very likely to have abilities in other areas, Bobby Fischer is a rare exception.

 

[brinny]

Here is a picture of the little guy with his trophy

He reminds me of Josh Waitzkin, the young chess champion in Searching for Bobby Fischer:

LOVE the picture!!!! I'm praying that he goes to a different school too (enough of the mocking and ridicule and in addition the crying in court because he thought the judge was deporting them)

God bless him and his family.

LOVE the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer". I have the DVD.

 

[TLK Valentine]

What help does he and his family need to escalate their "refugee" status/standing? (asylum request)

Considering that he comes from what our president considers a [censored]hole country, I'd say it's a lost cause.

Not much demand for chess prodigies here; he's probably going to have to sell that trophy for a first class ticket back to Nigeria.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Here is a picture of the little guy with his trophy

He reminds me of Josh Waitzkin, the young chess champion in Searching for Bobby Fischer:

Waitzkin eventually left chess to become a competitive martial artist... funny world, isn't it?

 

[brinny]

brinny said: ↑
What help does he and his family need to escalate their "refugee" status/standing? (asylum request)

Considering that he comes from what our president considers a [censored]hole country, I'd say it's a lost cause.

Not much demand for chess prodigies here; he's probably going to have to sell that trophy for a first class ticket back to Nigeria.

What has what you posted got to do with my question that i posted?

 

[TLK Valentine]

What has what you posted got to do with my question that i posted?

It answered it.

You want to know what can be done for him and his family? I'd recommend prayer... under the current administration, it doesn't look like he's got one.

 

[Ttalkkugjil]

This 8-Year-Old Chess Champion Will Make You Smile

He didn't make me smile.

 

[mark kennedy]

Waitzkin eventually left chess to become a competitive martial artist... funny world, isn't it?

I didn't know that, in the book and the movie he didn't seem like a fierce competitor, just a real smart kid.

 

[98cwitr]

@SummerMadness Thank you for a positive and uplifting post Very cool kid indeed. Makes me wish I was any good at chess!

 

[brinny]

It answered it.

You want to know what can be done for him and his family? I'd recommend prayer... under the current administration, it doesn't look like he's got one.

What has what you posted got to do with escalating their "refugee" status/standing? (asylum request)?