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Nevertheless, Phiona was able to secure admission to Northwest University in the fall of 2017. I’m working so hard on it, and I felt like I was starting to forget about myself, my family.” My name is there, but my chess is still here. I was working hard, but the more I worked hard, I couldn’t find my name. “I wasn’t even the best chess champion, like, in Uganda. “My name, like, went so high, and my chess - it was still so low,” she says.
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During an interview with WBUR (Boston), she reflects… With this new-found fame, Phiona grappled with her champion image portrayed in the movie. There were many misleading characterizations about Phiona’s abilities. Crothers may have even contributed to the narrative with his pronouncements about her becoming a “Grandmaster,” a very specific title in chess. In addition, it was billed as a rags to riches story of a “chess champion” instead of a story about triumph over the most depressing conditions. The idea of a chess champion is a common one, but by comparison, Phiona’s feats had been rather modest. It may have been due to the fact that the marketing crew handled this as someone would a story on Bobby Fischer. The movie did not gain traction in the media. There was tremendous optimism as many interviews leading up to the movie’s release captured the details. David Oyelowo ( Selma, Red Tails, The Last King of Scotland) would play Robert Katende, Phiona’s coach. Nyong’o gained acclaim in 12 Years a Slave and would play Phiona’s mother, Harriett Mutesi. The movie was directed by Mira Nair ( Monsoon Wedding, Mississippi Masala, Salaam Bombay) with the lead role going to Lupita Nyong’o whose parents are Kenyan. The film “ Queen of Katwe“ came out in 2016. In the same year, Walt Disney Pictures optioned the rights to make the book into a screen play. Phiona embarked on a whirlwind tour of the U.S. The moral of the story was completely missed or at least underappreciated. On chess discussion groups, many boiled her story down to her rating, title and tournament activity. Unfortunately, many chess players (especially from the west) cannot empathize with the type of abject poverty Phiona experienced and how difficult it was for her to survive in such conditions. Chess purists seemed more interested in her FIDE rating than in the obstacles she overcame. The book was released in 2012 and captured international acclaim despite the chess community being skittish. After being moved by Phiona’s circumstances, he would later make the story into a book titled, “ The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess and One Extraordinary Girl’s Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster.” Tim Crothers got wind of the story and flew to Uganda to investigate. As fortunate would have it, her new obsession with chess took her on her first flight to Sudan and won her first official tournament. On that fortuitous day, 9-year old Phiona found a new outlet and charted a new path in life. However, her story should be an example to us all. In addition, she ponders about unfulfilled expectations in chess. Now a student at Northwest University outside of Seattle, Washington, her journey has come with many challenges. Little did she realize that this event would change her life for the better.įast forward to 2019, Phiona Mutesi has since traveled the world sharing her story to thousands and serving as an inspiration that one can find a beacon of light in the darkest of circumstances. After seeing him disappear inside of a building, she wandered inside and found the Sports Outreach Institute, a sports club where there was a chess club meeting being held. About 14 years ago, a little girl in Katwe, Uganda followed her older brother who was increasingly occupied with an activity after school.