The Queen of Katwe is a “remarkable” (NPR) and “riveting” ( New York Post ) book that shows how “Phiona’s story transcends the limitations of the chessboard” (Robert Hess, US Grandmaster). 2 3 She has represented Uganda at four Womens Chess Olympiads, and is one of the first titled female players in Ugandan chess history. Queen of Katwe is based on a true story, first spotted in a church magazine and picked up by ESPN, which was then in talks with Disney about potential coproductions. But to reach that goal, she must grapple with everyday life in one of the world’s most unstable countries. Phiona Mutesi (born 28 March 1996) 1 is a Ugandan chess player. Now a Woman Candidate Master-the first female titled player in her country’s history-Phiona dreams of becoming a Grandmaster, the most elite level in chess. Of these kids, one girl stood out as an immense talent: Phiona.īy the age of eleven Phiona was her country’s junior champion, and at fifteen, the national champion. At first children came for a free bowl of porridge, but many grew to love the game that-like their daily lives-requires persevering against great obstacles. Laying a chessboard in the dirt, Robert began to teach.

The movie was highly-anticipated and adaptation from the book whose full title was The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess and One Extraordinary Girl’s Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster. Katende, a war refugee turned missionary, had an improbable dream: to empower kids in the Katwe slum through chess-a game so foreign there is no word for it in their native language. On September 30th, Queen of Katwe opened in theaters across the U.S. One day in 2005 while searching for food, nine-year-old Ugandan Phiona Mutesi followed her brother to a dusty veranda where she met Robert Katende.

The “astonishing” ( The New York Times Book Review ) and “inspirational” ( Shelf Awareness ) true story of Phiona Mutesi-a teenage chess prodigy from the slums of Uganda.

The queen of katwe book