All the things that chess teaches us are necessary not only for the next game but for real life as well.
The story that completely converted the life of a girl from Uganda began in 2009. Fiona Mutesi was approximately nine years old when she had an encounter with Robert Katende, a missionary as well as a coach who worked for the US Sports Charitable System. Fiona roamed the streets of Katwe, one of the most miserable regions in the capital of Uganda, dirty and starving. When Robert spotted her, he suggested the girl a cup of drink in exchange for a chess lesson. Since then, Fiona began walking 6.5 kilometers from her house to the church in Katenda every day, where the missionary provided the kids with food and taught them how to play chess.
As the girl remembers, initially, they had only seven chessboards at their disposal, and the missing areas were replaced with objects found in the garbage. Robert Katende rapidly spotted the girl’s talent and began to devote much more attention to her. After only a year of teaching, the young chess player beat all the boys and even her coach without any difficulty.
When Fiona was 11, she competed in her country’s junior championship and won first place. The same continued for the next two years. At the age of 15, Fiona left Uganda for the premier time in order to take part in the 2010 Chess Olympiad in Mansiysk, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. She was the only player who did not attend school. The girl spent part of her £130 winnings on a variety of expenses, and she had the desire to give the rest to her trainer. But Robert Katende rejected and insisted that Fiona purchase beds as well as mattresses for her family since they constantly slept on couches on the floor. This Olympiad was followed by several more worldwide competitions.
Upon returning home, the girl was welcomed as a folk heroine. Journalists from leading worldwide channels became interested in the girl. A lot of clips have been recorded. Then a book with her biography was published, and in 2016 the premiere of the movie “The Queen of Cats”, based on the biography of a chess player, took place.
Fiona Mutesi, sharing her memories with her biographer, said:
“From the very beginning, chess was just a cup of drink for me. But then it gave me the chance to attend school, and learn to read as well as write.
Before playing chess, Fiona lived in the slums and thought that was the way it should be. Then she saw that life could be quite varied. Her trainer Robert Katende confirms the words of his student.
“Chess teaches you to assess situations, make decisions, be disciplined, and be quiet as well as not give up. All these qualities are necessary not only for the next game but for real life as well.
