Latest news with #RoudaEssaAlserkal
The National
28-05-2025
- General
- The National
Emirati chess grandmaster Rouda Alserkal
Rouda Essa Alserkal is the UAE's first woman grandmaster and aims to clinch the main Grandmaster title soon
The National
28-05-2025
- General
- The National
UAE chess prodigy Rouda Essa Alserkal, 15, dreams of becoming Grandmaster
Not many can claim to have gained international recognition and success at the age of 15. Rouda Essa Alserkal is one of them. The chess prodigy grabbed headlines late last year as she became the first Emirati woman grandmaster following success at the Arab Women's Championship in Sharjah. The Grade 10 student at Al Mawaheb School, Abu Dhabi, thus entered the big leagues, having started the journey at age four. Her rise in the world of chess has now taken her to the prestigious Norway Chess Open, which opened on Monday and runs until this weekend. Rouda is representing the UAE in the tournament, competing alongside stars of the game such as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and new world champion Gukesh. All of this has happened rather quickly for the teenager. Rouda said it took her some time to come to terms with becoming a woman grandmaster. 'It was in November. I was very shocked. It was still round eight and they told me if I win the round I will immediately get first place. And that I was going to become a woman grandmaster. It was very stressful. These things take a lot of time to sink in. But now, I feel very proud of myself,' Rouda told The National. Rouda began playing with her father, Essa Alserkal, and other family members. She was soon enrolled in the Abu Dhabi Chess Club. By the time she was five, she began to show serious talent for chess. Her list of wins includes the U20 UAE Championship, the 2017 World Cadets Championship, and many more. 'I started chess at four years old. We had a chess board at home. I used to play all the time with my mum, sisters, with my dad. When I joined Abu Dhabi Chess Club, a couple of months later, I won the Asian championship. 'I started taking chess more seriously when I won the world [cadets] championship in 2017. This is when I started to train more and have higher goals and ambition.' Rouda is only the second grandmaster from UAE after Salem Abdulrahman. The Abu Dhabi resident is proud of what she has achieved, and hopes more women take up the game. 'The chess scene in the UAE is growing fast. There is a lot of support right now, especially for young players. For women, there is a lot of improvement but it could be better. Me becoming the first women grandmaster in the UAE shows that anything is possible and I hope it opens more doors for young girls.' Her work is not done yet, though. Rouda's next target is clinching the main Grandmaster title; she is currently a woman grandmaster which has a lower ratings threshold. The requirements for the main GM title are a lot harder. Rouda currently has a little over 2,100 points in her rankings and needs to rise to 2,500 to gain the overall GM title. The task will only get tougher from here on as she will need to compete at bigger tournaments against better players to improve her standing. 'This means I have to work harder, keep up the grind. Inshallah, I will increase my ratings soon. It will be more difficult now,' she admitted. While Rouda has her task cut out, managing high-stakes chess with the pressures of studies – which she admits has become a lot more difficult now – she is clear about what she wants to achieve on the chess board and in her life. 'My biggest goal is to achieve the Grandmaster title, not just the woman grandmaster title. Hopefully reach 2,500 ratings. And in future, I want to become a lawyer. And if everything works out, I will be a good lawyer hopefully.' For now, her focus is on the Norway Open. The difficulty of the task facing her became clear right away in her opening match on Monday as Rouda struggled against Ukrainian GM Platon Galperin. 'It is sad to not start with a win,' Rouda said in a statement. 'But it was also incredibly valuable. Playing at this level is intense, and I know I'll grow from this.'
The National
10-04-2025
- Sport
- The National
UAE's first woman chess grandmaster Rouda Essa Alserkal to rub shoulders with world's best in Norway
Emirati teenager Rouda Essa Alserkal, the UAE's first woman chess grandmaster, has received an invitation to participate in the Norway Chess Open - one of the most prestigious tournaments in the calendar. Rouda, 15, will represent the UAE in the competition which will see participation from 31 countries. The Norway Chess Open will be held from May 26 to June 1 at the IMI Forum in Stavanger, attracting both grandmasters and up-and-coming chess players. Speaking about the invitation to Rouda, Kjell Madland, managing director of Norway Chess, said: "I congratulate Rouda on the remarkable feat of becoming the first woman chess grandmaster from the UAE and she stands tall as an inspiration for women in this region to achieve. "The Norway Chess Open provides a great opportunity for grandmasters and chess players to hone their skills and gain competitive exposure. We hope to find and encourage many future chess stars from the Middle East to play in the Norway Chess Open." Madland highlighted the importance of growing chess as a competitive sport in the Middle East and expressed interest in making more inroads in the UAE. "We are exploring the possibility of hosting Norway Chess tournament in the Middle East and potential partners are welcome to connect with us. We are also working to broadcast Norway Chess live to the fans in the Middle East," he said. Expressing her excitement after receiving the invitation, Rouda said: "I am looking forward to the competition as I know Norway Chess is the strongest grooming ground for future chess superstars. When I first heard that I am getting invited for the Norway Chess Open, I could not believe it and I was so thrilled, I told my coach immediately - that I need to start preparing. This is the most prestigious tournament in the world and I am sure this experience will help me improve my game further. "I am also greatly looking forward to meet Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, also some of the Indian players like the new world champion Gukesh who will be participating." The Norway Chess Open will feature double rounds on May 29-30. The grandmaster group, which Rouda has been invited to, will have nine rounds, opportunity for title norms and a prize fund of €13,000. The Norway Chess Open will be held simultaneously along with the marquee Norway Chess 2025, which will see a star-studded line-up featuring world No 1 Carlsen (Norway), Nakamura (USA), Gukesh D (India), Fabiano Caruana (USA), Arjun Erigaisi (India), and Wei Yi (China) among the men. The Norway Chess Women will feature Ju Wenjun (China), Lei Tingjie (China), Humpy Koneru (India), Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), Vaishali Rameshbabu (India), and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Spain).
Mid East Info
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Mid East Info
UAE's first-ever Woman Grandmaster Rouda Essa Alserkal to play the Norway Chess Open 2025 - Middle East Business News and Information
In a bid to encourage chess players in the Middle East and provide a platform at the global stage, the organisers of Norway Chess – one of the most prestigious tournaments in the FIDE chess calendar – has invited Emirate's first-ever female grandmaster Rouda Essa Alserkal to participate in the Norway Chess Open 2025 which will see participation from 31 countries. The 15-year-old Rouda was formally presented with the invitation by Kjell Madland, Managing Director and visionary behind Norway Chess, today at a press event in Seven Seas Hotel in Dubai. Also present at the grand occasion was Dr Mansoor Al Tamimi, Vice Technical Committee Chair, the Technical Director from the Abu Dhabi Chess Club and Mind Games. Koneru Humpy, two-time women's world rapid chess champion, also joined virtually and wished Rouda ahead of her upcoming events. The Norway Chess Open 2025 will be held from May 26 to June 1 at the IMI Forum in Stavanger, attracting both grandmasters and ambitious chess players seeking title norms and valuable competitive experience. With previous participants like reigning World Champion Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa, and Vaishali, who participated in the Norway Chess Open as budding players before their meteoric rise in the sport, has established itself as an essential arena for players seeking high-level competition. Speaking about providing this unique opportunity for Rouda, Kjell Madland expressed, 'Norway Chess is delighted to invite Rouda Essa Alserkal to participate in this year's Norway Chess Open 2025. I congratulate Rouda on the remarkable feat to become the first woman Chess Grandmaster from the UAE and she stands tall as an inspiration for women in this region to achieve. The Norway Chess Open provides a great opportunity for Grandmasters and chess players to hone their skills and gain competitive exposure. We hope to find and encourage many future chess stars from the Middle East to play in the Norway Chess Open.' Madland further highlighted the importance of growing chess as a competitive sport in the Middle East and expressed interest in creating further synergies with potential partners in the UAE. 'We are exploring the possibility of hosting Norway Chess tournament in the Middle East and potential partners are welcome to connect with us. We are also working to broadcast Norway Chess live to the fans in the Middle East,' he said. In the Norway Chess Open category, leading the list of participants is Rinat Jumbayev (KAZ), followed by strong contenders such as Gergely Kantor (HUN), Valentin Dragnev (AUT), Vitaly Kunin (GER), Norwegian Frode Urkedal (NOR), and Chinese grandmaster Jiner Zhu (CHN). Expressing her excitement to participate in the Norway Chess Open 2025, Rouda said, 'I am looking forward to the competition as I know Norway Chess is the strongest grooming ground for future chess superstars. When I first heard that I am getting invited for the Norway Chess Open, I could not believe it and I was so thrilled, I told my coach immediately – that I need to start preparing. This is the most prestigious tournament in the world and I am sure this experience will help me improve my game further.' 'I am also greatly looking forward to meet Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, also some of the Indian players like the new World Champion Gukesh who will be participating in the Norway Chess 2025,' she added. The Norway Chess Open features double rounds on Thursday, May 29, and Friday, May 30, providing excellent opportunities for title norms in the top group. In the Grandmaster Group, which Rouda has been invited to participate, will have nine rounds, opportunity for title norms and a prize fund of €13,000. Please see attached images from the event. About Norway Chess 2025: The Norway Chess Open is held simultaneously along with the marquee Norway Chess 2025 which will see a star-studded line-up featuring world no.1 Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Gukesh D (India), Fabiano Caruana (USA), Arjun Erigaisi (India), and Wei Yi (China) among the men while the Norway Chess Women will feature Ju Wenjun (China), Lei Tingjie (China), Humpy Koneru (India), Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), Vaishali Rameshbabu (India), and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Spain). Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women, feature the same format, same prize money, and take place in the same playing hall. Both tournaments follow a 6-player double round-robin format.
Khaleej Times
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Meet UAE's first female chess grandmaster who is just 15 years old
Rouda Essa Alserkal had a chessboard at home from a young age. As a child, she would eagerly ask her mom to sign her up for a chess club, but when they finally visited, she was turned away due to her young age. At just four years old, Rouda was already moving the knight — something many children take weeks to master. Now, at 15, she has been appointed as a Women Grandmaster by the International Chess Federation, making her the first Emirati and Gulf player to receive this prestigious title. Her talent was spotted by a coach named Hisham Al Argha after rejection from the chess club. 'He saw potential in me. He let me play with him, and when he noticed I could already move the knight, he was impressed and welcomed me into the club. That's when my chess journey truly began,' she said. Rouda found her passion for chess during her very first tournament. "I just loved the challenge of figuring things out on the board. Winning was exhilarating, but what I really enjoyed was the uniqueness of each game and the endless learning opportunities. That's when I realised I wanted to push myself and see how far I could go," said the Abu Dhabi resident. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Over the years, Rouda has dedicated herself to improving her game. "I started by learning the basics and getting comfortable with the pieces. As I played more, I focused on my strategy, openings, and endgames. I learned to think ahead, and soon I began to recognise patterns that helped me in future games." While she faced challenges — balancing school with chess and dealing with disappointing losses — Rouda persevered. "There were times when it felt like I wasn't making progress, but I kept training and learning from my mistakes. It wasn't easy, but eventually, I began to see improvement!" Winning her WGM title was a moment of immense joy for Rouda. "I was so happy and a bit relieved. All the hard work had finally paid off. It took a moment to sink in, and I reflected on how far I'd come. Personally, it felt like a huge achievement. For women's chess in the UAE, it's significant too. I hope my success inspires other girls to reach for their goals in chess. It's all about believing in yourself and putting in the effort!" Looking to the future, Rouda has ambitious goals. "I want to continue improving and eventually earn my GM title. Competing in top tournaments against elite players is a challenge I look forward to. Winning more world championships is definitely on my radar, but right now, I'm focused on growing as a player and seeing how far I can take my chess career." For young players just starting out, Rouda has some advice: "Be patient with yourself and keep training. It won't feel easy at first, and it can be tough. Don't get discouraged! Play as much as you can. What's most important is learning from your mistakes and striving for improvement. Focus less on winning and more on enjoying the game. The more fun you have, the more motivated you'll be to keep improving!"
