Victor Harris Hughes

Winning Helena: A Story About Chess, Autism, and Falling in Love Victor Harris Hughes

Autistic child chess prodigy Owen Robertson is infatuated with Helena, the amazing girl from across the street.

He thinks she's the greatest thing since Bobby Fischer. She thinks he's a nut. And it's no wonder. After all, Owen plays chess obsessively and lives half his life inside the game. One minute he's in gym class, the next minute he's battling bishops and jousting with knights. When he's told by a black king that his only chance to survive in one world is to win Helena in the other, Owen begins ninth grade on a quest for that Holy Grail called "normal."

After a tragedy strikes, Owen is nearly ready to give up on a world that doesn't seem interested in understanding him. But then an unexpected friend and ally suggests that Helena might just be the key to ending the war between his head and his heart.

After thousands of games, could Owen finally be ready to make his first move?