An 8-year-old Nigerian, Tani Adewumis, whose family is homeless, won first place at the New York State chess championship without a single defeat at the beginning of 2019 and he says he is not done yet.
“I want to be the youngest grandmaster,” Tani told The New York Times. Tani placed first in the tournament for kindergarten through third grade — an outstanding win for anyone. “It’s unheard of for any kid, let alone one in a homeless shelter,” said Russell Makofsky, who is in charge of the chess program.
Tani hasn’t had an easy life. His family left northern Nigeria in 2017 fearing attacks on Christians, and moved to New York City over a year ago where the boy learned how to play chess at school. School chess coach Shawn Martinez saw Tani’s potential after observing him stand out in the game a few weeks after first learning it early last year. He reached out to Tani’s family about joining in the school’s chess program, and learned they were unable to pay costs associated with membership. Shawn decided to abandon Tani’s fees, which can easily reach thousands with travel and chess camp admissions.
Seven victories later, the elementary school boy is one of the top players in the country for his age group. “He works very hard at his game,” Martinez said, believing Tani could achieve master status in the next year or two. The world’s youngest grandmaster qualified at the age of 12.
As Tani’s story hits national headlines, more people want to help. Makofsky, who set up a GoFundMe for Tani, said the family has received offers for a car, legal services, jobs and even housing. “My hope is that he’ll be in a home tonight,” Makofsky said.
【小题1】How did Makofsky find Tani’s achievement?| A．Confusing. | B．Amusing. |
| C．Amazing. | D．Ridiculous. |
| A．Makofsky told him to do so |
| B．Tani's family were unable to pay costs associated with their daily life. |
| C．Shawn took charge of the chess program |
| D．Tani had a great gift for chess. |
| A．All things are difficult before they are easy. |
| B．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
| C．A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. |
| D．God helps those who help themselves. |
| A．A Chess Coach Helped to Support a Nigerian Child |
| B．A Nigerian Family Hit National Headlines in the USA |
| C．A Homeless Nigerian Won the State Chess Championship |
| D．An 8-year-old Became the Youngest Grandmaster in 2019 |
