Tani Adewumi Achieves IM Title at NYC Chess Norms 2025 Spring Invitational

14-year-old FM Tanitoluwa “Tani” Adewumi achieved a major career milestone at the NYC Chess Norms 2025 Spring Invitational last weekend by crossing the 2400 FIDE rating threshold for the first time, qualifying for the IM title. Despite several players coming up just short of a norm, Adewumi’s impressive performance in the GM A section earned him clear first place with a score of 6/9.

In a thrilling 5th round match against GM Oliver Barbosa, Adewumi rose to 2408 in the live FIDE ratings with a win that showcased his ability to overcome significant time trouble. Although he fell short of earning his first GM norm in the final rounds, his fearless play against GM Raja Harshit demonstrated his fighting spirit in a “must-win” situation.

Additionally, IM Mark Plotkin emerged as the clear winner in the IM B section with a score of 6/9, while Linxi Zhu impressed as the top norm-seeker, finishing a half-point behind in a tie for second place with IM Mykola Bortnyk. The tournament featured several other notable performances, including IM Yury Lapshun’s strong showing in the Scheveningen C section and CM Carter Ho and Kevin Stern’s top scores in the Challengers section.

Overall, the 22nd invitational event saw a total of 51 norms achieved, setting the stage for future events scheduled for May, July, and August-September of 2025. Congratulations to all the participants on their impressive performances and achievements at the NYC Chess Norms 2025 Spring Invitational.