Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer was recently engrossed in a game of chess with Tani Adewumi, the young chess master, in New York.
In the exhibition match, Federer sat against Adewumi, who is a Nigerian refugee in the US, over a chessboard.
Before the match began, the 41-year-old, who won 20 Grand Slams titles, said: “I have never been nervous in a while since my playing days. But I have never sat across a Chess Master, so today, well I may be a little nervous”.
Adewumi gave Federer a slim advantage by playing with one rook only and had a comfortable win in the two games he played with the former Swiss tennis player.
During the game, the pair also shared stories relating to their careers and future goals.
Federer vs 12-year-old chess master Tani Adewumi in New York – wholesome content
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— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) July 14, 2023
The 12-year-old said he wishes to be a grandmaster by the age of 14. He also revealed how he got into the sport.
On his part, the Swiss maestro talked about his long-time rival Rafael Nadal.
Shortly after Adewumi’s victory, his friends surrounded the table with Federer thinking he has to play all of them.
Adewumi then asked Federer: “I mean you should have brought Nadal and them?”
In his reply, Federer said: “Yeah where are they when I need them? I thought they were my friends too”.
In 2019, Adewunmi, whose family had fled Nigeria for the US over the Boko Haram crisis, made the headlines after winning the 2019 New York chess championship while living in a homeless center on religious asylum.
He also won another competition in the US in 2021 to officially become a national chess master.
