He also knows the general ideas of what's happening in the chess world.' Federer with Ljubicic, his former tennis coach. According to Ljubicic, Federer “likes to play bullet to kill time and distract himself…. Federer is an avid chess player, according to Ivan Ljubicic, who coached him in tennis from 2016 to 2022 and is himself a former tennis world number-three. Does Roger Federer Play Chess?ĭefinitely. Image: Meeting of the Masters via YouTube.

The winner congratulates his opponent for a game well played. Here’s what else you should know about Federer, Tani, and their chess games. What should you know? Tani played with just one rook, a definite advantage for the tennis star. Tani and Federer played three games earlier this month. Would you be surprised to see tennis great Roger Federer on one side of the chessboard facing an unassuming, young opponent not even yet a teenager? What if the opponent is the famous ChessKid Ambassador himself, FM Tanitoluwa Adewumi, better known by his nickname Tani? As Tani sets up the chessboard for the first game, he announces, 'So I'm going to be down a rook.' Image: Meeting of the Masters via YouTube. Imagine a sun-filled day with an over-the-board game in a picturesque park such as Columbus Park in New York City.