Queen of Katwe Page #4

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Phiona, try as much as possible

to avoid passive play.

You allowed him

to attack your castle.

Your right squares were weak,

and he capitalized on that

to capture your king.

Checkmate.

In tomorrow's game, make sure

you deny him a tempo...

So he has to keep defending.

Chess, it makes my brain sharp.

Checkmate.

Yes.

Yes!

My great cats!

You won a prize?

For what?

I won a boy.

Best in boys, Phiona Mutesi.

You won a boy?

In fact, they named me best boy.

Now, you know my plan

is to attack your b-5, yes?

So you must bring your pawn

forward to defend. You see?

Phiona, why are you

developing over here?

Your problem is on b-5.

Look! I put my pawn on b-5,

you take my pawn,

my knight attacks your queen,

we exchange queens, my

knight attacks your king...

I take your rook.

With respect, coach,

I would not move that way.

You must.

You are compelled

by my position.

If you come for my knight...

I attack your king

and take your rook.

You see?

You can see eight moves ahead?

You could win at Rwabushenyi.

You could be the best

in all Uganda.

Do you know what

that would mean for Katwe?

Perhaps one day

an international champion.

Coach!

Why are you shining me?

Me, I'm not shining you.

Only champions can see

that many variations.

What is preventing you

from being a grandmaster?

I do not know about

being a grandmaster.

Sometimes, the place

you are used to

is not the place you belong.

You belong where

you believe you belong.

Where is that for you, Phiona?

Huh?

Assisting these children to

attend school is a noble goal,

but it's outside the mandate

of our ministry.

That mandate should be changed.

Katende, you do not speak

any more

like a man who has only

a part-time job.

These children

have captured you.

Mrs. Gali.

Robert, good news!

Your children are invited

to the international chess

tournament in Sudan.

Sudan?

What is in the Sudan?

Sudan is where

the African children's

chess tournament is held.

Children from all over

Africa will be there.

It is sponsored

by the united nations.

Is it not far?

A thousand miles away.

That bus of yours

would not get you there.

I'm going to Sudan.

There will be no bus this time.

Phiona will travel by airplane

with Ivan and Benjamin,

to represent Uganda.

Think of that, eh?

Katwe children, our children,

representing the whole country.

These two children

are not "our" children.

They are my children.

Of course. I just meant... Me,

I carried them in my body.

Phiona is going in an airplane!

Ah...

Richard,

Phiona is going to Sudan.

When they return...

I have arranged

for Phiona and Brian

to attend the school

where my wife teaches.

Huh?

On a scholarship.

Eh?

My wife has been

teaching them to read.

Yes! Yes, I know,

and I am grateful, but...

But what?

Isn't this what you wanted?

Education for your children?

Yes, but how can I pay

for uniforms?

How will I save?

What time does school

begin in the morning?

Your children can do more

than sell vegetables.

They have a chance to go

beyond this kind of life,

to go to school.

Maybe one day attend university.

Surely, you can understand

how important that is, eh?

Hmm.

I am not an educated woman,

Mr. Katende.

I understand nothing.

You want to go to this Sudan?

Yes, mama.

You stay always near your coach.

You do not know what

people there are like.

Mama, bye.

- Yes, lord...

- Bye, mama Phiona.

I speak a blessing

on my daughter.

Our father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy will be done on earth

as it is in heaven.

Give us this day

our daily bread,

and forgive us our...

Bye, Benjamin.

Bye, Phiona.

Bye, Ivan.

Coach, is this heaven?

No. Heaven is a bit higher.

I've never before seen

an airport.

I only have two sets of clothes.

How am I going to win

these people over here?

We are with you.

Benjamin!

Benjamin, come.

You also must practice.

Go to Mozambique.

Our coach trained in Moscow.

He's a grandmaster.

He teaches students in Russia.

He almost beat Kasparov.

Can you imagine?

Coach said that

if I become a master,

I may receive a stipend

from our federation

simply to go to tournaments.

What is it, a stipend?

What is it?

Money, silly.

Could I be a master?

Eh?

First, you have to win

50% of your games

in a FIDE approved tournament.

Like the Olympiad, in Russia.

Have you ever heard of it? No.

I'm beating this one.

Mmm-mmm,

I'm beating this one.

You don't know much, do you?

I know a bit.

Checkmate.

I won him.

I won my girl too.

He's the best player.

They must be tricking us.

Coach?

I think we can

win them tomorrow.

They are over.

And third place, Kenya.

Second place, Sudan.

And first place, Uganda!

Yes!

We won! Yes!

My pioneers, you have won

an international tournament!

We used to eat rice and

beans in the village.

Look at what we're eating now.

Mmm, mmm!

Ketchup is the greatest thing

that has ever been invented.

I want a lake

filled with ketchup.

Ha! Ivan, you are funny.

Ketchup. Yes.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Thank god!

My daughter.

Thank god!

They fed you?

Yes, mama.

Ah, I see you got another.

Oh...

I wish we could

eat these prizes.

You come.

What has happened?

Theo got tired of her.

She'll be fine.

You come and sit.

Brian.

Phiona.

Richard.

How does it feel

to be in a plane?

It is fine.

How do you pee in a plane?

They have rooms inside the plane

with toilets in them.

You let her rest.

She's tired from her journey.

I'm sure that Sudan

does not have food

as sweet as your mother's

meat and matoke.

Welcome home,

miss Uganda of chess.

You are bringing with you

the grand trophy.

Tell us how you did it.

Chess is a game of fighting.

Benjamin, Ivan, and me,

we are from Katwe.

We are fighters.

With more tournaments

around the corner,

I'm sure we'll be hearing

from these Katwe fighters

very soon.

But for now, we celebrate

this latest triumph.

Phiona!

Every time you bring home one

of those shiny trophies...

I'll give you a new hairstyle.

You said your project

would make Phiona's

character stronger.

Since you took her

to this Sudan,

she refuses to do

many of her tasks.

Wake up, Phiona.

Mmm-mmm.

Time to wash the cassava.

It is improper

for the tournament winner

to wash cassava.

Who should wash them then?

Those of us who are

not tournament winners?

We're the cassava washers?

Is that it?

I am her mother.

And she should do as I say.

She believes your game will solve

every problem of her life.

Why not then let us

wash your feet, madam?

When I was a girl...

I was told stories

of a village by the lake that

never runs short of maize.

Come back here!

Where there is no fighting.

I never found that place,

Mr. Katende.

Your children deserve better.

Enough food to eat.

A roof over their heads.

Safety.

You have shown

my children a paradise, yes.

But now they feel

out of place where they are.

That girl from Egypt flies

to Russia to see her coach.

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