Phiona Mutesi wasn’t always a jet-setting, child chess prodigy. The 16-year-old grew up in Katwe, a slum in Kampala. Her father died of AIDS when she was three and her sister met the same fate shortly thereafter. For Phiona, finding her next meal and caring for her brothers and sisters while her mother was working were the only things the young girl focused on. That is, until she met Robert Katende. In 2005 the Ugandan missionary started a chess program – offering a warm meal to any child who would show up. Phiona willingly obliged and has been dominating the game of chess ever since. She describes her love for the game:
“For me the magic of chess is that you become like a prophet, seeing things that are ahead. You think of solutions for challenges to come, and when they come you have a remedy for each.”
In 2010 she traveled with Katende and her other teammates to Siberia to compete in the Chess Olympiad. In 2012 she traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to where she earned the title of Woman Candidate Master at the same Olympiad. American writer Tim Crothers caught on to Mutsei’s story and collaborated with her to write a book about her life entitled The Queen of Katwe. Since the release of her book she has garnered global attention including an interview with ESPN, which helped thrust her even farther into the limelight. With the added notoriety, Phiona has garnered the attention of billionaire Bill Gates, who is interested in playing a game of chess with her. The date is still to be determined but if this match-up is anything like her others, Gates bettered come prepared.
(Photo credit: ESPN)
Think people should hear about this?