The story of Ugandan chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi

She was nine years old when she stumbled upon the game ... mesmerized by the tiny smooth pieces -- the Knight, the Rook, the Pawn. And so a girl from one of the most destitute places on the planet became a chess champion. Today we bring you the story of how a 16-year-old girl from one of the worst slums in all of East Africa changed her life by mastering a game that doesn't even have a name in her native language.

---

Author of The Queen of Katwe, Tim Crothers

Phiona Mutesi is playing chess with her coach, Robert Katende. There are several things you can't see that make this remarkable. For one, they are playing in Katwe, a sprawling slum in Kampala, Uganda ... one of the worst slums in all of East Africa.

At 16-years-old, Phiona Mutesi is already one of the best chess players in the world. American sports writer Tim Crothers tells her story in his new book, The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster.

Tim Crothers was in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Anna Maria Tremonti spoke with Tim Crothers last February. In April, Phiona Mutesi was in New York City for the Women in the World Summit, and was honored with a Women of Impact award.

This segment was produced by The Current's Hassan Santur.

Have thoughts you want to add to this discussion? Tweet us @thecurrentcbc. Follow us on Facebook. Or e-mail us through our website. Call us toll-free at 1 877 287 7366. And you can always write to us at PO Box 500, Station A, Toronto, M5W 1E6.

Other segments on today's show:

• Feeding someone against their will: Unethical, or life-saving kindness?