A King in Hiding
How a child refugee became a world chess champion
Nonfiction, Entertainment, Games, Chess, Board games
| Author: | Fahim | ISBN: | 9781848318298 |
| Publisher: | Icon Books Ltd | Publication: | March 5, 2015 |
| Imprint: | Icon Books Ltd | Language: | English |
| Author: | Fahim |
| ISBN: | 9781848318298 |
| Publisher: | Icon Books Ltd |
| Publication: | March 5, 2015 |
| Imprint: | Icon Books Ltd |
| Language: | English |
**LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2015 **
Forced to flee his native Bangladesh, eight year-old chess prodigy Fahim arrived in Paris with his father. Refused asylum, as illegal immigrants they spiralled downwards into homelessness and desperation.
By a stroke of luck, Fahim was introduced to one of France’s top chess coaches, Xavier Parmentier, who tutored him and gave him a sense of purpose, his struggles on the chessboard mirroring both his victories and his crushing defeats in his battle for a normal life.
Rising through local and national tournaments to be crowned France’s Under-12 Chess Champion in 2012, Fahim became a national sensation. In 2013 he went on to win the World Under-13 Student Championship.
Told through the clear eyes of a child, Fahim’s tale is not only a moving account of the grim realities that underlie a supposedly caring society, but also a heartwarming testimony to a father’s determination, the kindness of strangers, and one small boy’s courageous will to succeed.
**LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2015 **
Forced to flee his native Bangladesh, eight year-old chess prodigy Fahim arrived in Paris with his father. Refused asylum, as illegal immigrants they spiralled downwards into homelessness and desperation.
By a stroke of luck, Fahim was introduced to one of France’s top chess coaches, Xavier Parmentier, who tutored him and gave him a sense of purpose, his struggles on the chessboard mirroring both his victories and his crushing defeats in his battle for a normal life.
Rising through local and national tournaments to be crowned France’s Under-12 Chess Champion in 2012, Fahim became a national sensation. In 2013 he went on to win the World Under-13 Student Championship.
Told through the clear eyes of a child, Fahim’s tale is not only a moving account of the grim realities that underlie a supposedly caring society, but also a heartwarming testimony to a father’s determination, the kindness of strangers, and one small boy’s courageous will to succeed.
