To some, Disney is the purveyor of Steamboat Willie and Mickey Mouse, Pluto and Goofy, Bambi and Dumbo, the Lion King and Jungle Book, the underwater adventures of Nemo and the Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty and her USAT North dwarf teammates.
Unlike the imaginary backdrops of Frozen and Fantasia, a just-released Disney vehicle uses real-life Africa as a backdrop. Move over Woody from Toy Story, there's a new sheriff in town and she is the Queen of Katwe.
The two-hour film portrays one young girl's rise from poverty in the slums of Katwa in Uganda. 10-year old Phiona (wasn't Fiona the heroine's name in Shrek?) is introduced to chess by an amazing coach who seeks to provide an activity to the slum children beyond playing soccer in hard dirt fields. After some initial challenges, Phiona takes to the game as she starts to achieve some success, and in return, chess opens up the world to the young teen, providing travel and educational opportunities that would have otherwise been unavailable.
When Phiona demonstrates an ability to contemplate combinations seven and eight moves ahead -- and starts to beat him -- the coach recognizes he has a special talent who can't yet read the word chess from a book.
The movie (and engineer turned missionary coach) does an amazing job of weaving into the storyline examples of how skills from chess can hold real-world benefits from considering alternatives, to planning, to emotional recovery.
As the coach points out, losing is part of the game -- it's what we do when the pieces are set up again which defines us.
A warning to parents of younger children: in very un-Disneylike fashion the movie portrays a few matters which may not be what you were ready to discuss with your youthful cherub.
And as a certified tournament director there are exhibitions of behavior which I would certainly term unsporting when the slum kids go on to compete in wider competitions.
The coach's mid-game outburst, exhalting Phiona that she belongs in such a tournament, was an act worthy of playing hall ejection, however well-intentioned. Parents and coaches: please don't emulate that!
I certainly hope finger snapping to rub in a checkmate doesn't become a thing at Illinois tournaments!
I won't reveal the "pay-off" for Phiona's chess success -- but I was ineffectual at holding back the tears at the credits: the real-life person was presented aside the actor portraying them in the movie with graphics explaining what they've gone on to do in life. What a difference chess made to these folks! What a difference one coach made!
Can chess transform communities here in the states?
The ICA would like to hear from you -- if you or your family happen to see Queen of Katwe this weekend or next, Sept. 30 - October 10, please write in to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and provide a mini-review of the film... or at least a few words about a favorite scene or two.
And an extra bonus if anyone can identify any board positions where the bottom left square isn't the dark colors (my pet peave in cinematic chess portrayals) -- I caught a few of those until they started playing on tournament boards.
Unlike some chess-related movies where one might have to seek out an independent art house screen, the mouse that roared is bringing the Queen of Katwe to a theater near you:
Please note that this in no way is meant as an exhaustive listing of Illinois theaters -- and that screenings are subject to change after the initial release.
[Editor's Addition: As a few weeks have passed since this opening many of these screening theaters have changed -- the movie has come and gone in some places and opened elsewhere. An excellent write up on the movie from a chess perspective was posted on the FIDE site: http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/15-chess-news/9870-gorilla-goes-to-the-movies-queen-of-katwe.html. Thanks to Susan at US Chess for the heads up!].