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Al Etihad
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
UAE's first female chess grandmaster Rouda Al Serkal proves ‘anything is possible' for Emirati youth
24 June 2025 00:15 AMEINAH ALZEYOUDI (ABU DHABI)At just 15, Rouda Al Serkal has earned global recognition as a two-time world chess champion and made history as the first Emirati female to achieve the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). Her journey to this milestone — achieved after winning the Arab Women's Championship at the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club — has been shaped by talent, determination, and the support of both her family and her she was only 4 years old, she began playing with her father, Essa Alserkal, and other family members before joining the Abu Dhabi Chess Club. By the age of five, she had already shown serious potential. 'Chess was a very fun thing for me when I was a kid, and I enjoyed every part of it,' she said in an interview with Aletihad . Her rise since then has been steady and impressive, with a collection of local and international wins that include the U-20 UAE Championship, World Cadets Under-8 title in 2017, World Schools Under-9 in 2018, a bronze medal at the Asian Youth Under-14, the Jeddah Open Tournament and multiple Arab Women's Champion titles. She also won the World Championship in the Solving Puzzles Category C and the West Asian a woman grandmaster, Rouda joins Salem Abdulrahman as one of only two players from the UAE to hold the grandmaster title. But her achievements have not come without challenges.'There was a lot of hard work there, a lot of sacrifices made,' she said. 'One of the hardest parts was the pressure — from the club, from tournaments, from players around me — because they had high expectations of me. It's pretty stressful dealing with it at such a young age.'Despite the pressure, Rouda has found ways to stay grounded, though balancing school and chess hasn't always been smooth.'Back in middle school, it was manageable. But now that I'm in high school, it's honestly not that easy,' she daily routine reflects the discipline of a champion. She returns home from school at 3:30pm, takes a short break, then heads to the chess club from 4:30 to 8pm before starting her homework.'When I'm travelling for tournaments, it gets even harder. Sometimes I come back and have exams straight away,' she said, admitting she's still figuring out the routine that works best for Rouda looks back at the challenges with pride. 'It wasn't easy dealing with this, but I don't regret any bit of it. I'm very happy that I had to go through those hardships, and I finally reached my dream.'As one of the most memorable milestones in her journey, Rouda highlighted the recent meeting with President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Although this was her third meeting with the UAE President, it held special significance.'It was actually my third time meeting His Highness, but this one felt different. We sat down and talked for 15 minutes — it's a memory I will never forget. It was very inspiring. His Highness told me the UAE is very proud of my achievements, very proud of what I've done and encouraged me to keep working hard, both at school and in chess,' she the support of the UAE's leadership for young Emiratis and athletes to pursue their dreams, Rouda hopes others will take that first step, no matter the challenge. 'Anything is possible,' she said confidently. 'It might be difficult, but it's never impossible. Whether you're 10 or 30, married or not, anything is possible. Our country and our leaders have always supported Emiratis and athletes to reach their dreams. With just a little bit of self-confidence, you can do whatever you want.'
Gulf Today
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
UAE's Serkal becomes Gulf's 1st eve grandmaster
The UAE Chess Federation announced that Rouda Al Serkal, a player on the national team and the Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind Games, has been awarded the title of "Women Grandmaster" by the International Chess Federation. Al Serkal received the title after winning the Arab Women's Championship held at the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club last November, making her the first Emirati and Gulf player to achieve this prestigious recognition. Kholood Al Zarouni, Chair of the Federation's Women's Committee, thanked the Ministry of Sports, the National Olympic Committee, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club, emphasizing that this achievement is the result of cooperation among all sports entities with the Federation. She praised the significant role played by the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club in developing players of both genders. Al Zarouni emphasized that this achievement represents a significant morale boost for women's chess, opens the door to further international titles, and motivates young players to continue training and participating. She noted that Rouda is a model of the ideal player who has achieved numerous titles and always aims for greater goals. Al Serkal confirmed that receiving the title of "Women Grandmaster" from the International Chess Federation represents strong motivation for the UAE to achieve global recognition in chess. The 16-year-old Al Serkal said she looks forward to competing for titles during her upcoming participation in the Asian Individual Chess Championship at the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club, to be held from May 6 to 15, and the World Youth and Women's Championships in July 2025, and to ensure the country's strong presence in international forums. She noted that Emirati women have reached the highest international levels in sports and other competitive fields, thanks to the support and attention of the wise leadership and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, "Mother of the Emirates," Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation. Serkal acknowledged the tangible role of the UAE Chess Federation in organizing tournaments and supporting the ambitions of players, as well as the efforts of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club in developing the capabilities of all its members through advanced programs, attracting the best coaches, and providing optimal conditions for players to participate in competitions. She praised her family's support in helping her participate in training and tournaments, and commended her primary school "AlMawaheb" and its officials for their efforts in supporting and advancing her talent. Some of Rouda's achievements: At the age of five, Roudha won the Asian Championship Under-6, which has earned her a status as a rising national star. As she grew older, her accomplishments only multiplied - she won the Under-20 UAE Championship at eight, the World Cadets Championship Under-8 in 2017, the World Schools Under-9 in 2018, he bronze medal in the Asian Youth Under 14 category, the Jeddah Open Tournament and Arab Women Champion multiple times. She has also been crowned the World Champion in the Solving Puzzles Category C and the West Asian Champion, among numerous other titles. Chess is one of the fastest growing sports in the UAE. Many FIDE sanctioned tournaments are held in the UAE every year. A lot of youngsters are taking up chess professional sports in the country. Of late, UAE has become a hub of the sports with world class events like T20 Cricket World Cup, Asia Cup, IPL and MME fights taking place in the country along with FIFA World Cup and Cricket World Cup qualifiers taking place almost round the year. Recently, ICC champions Trophy was held in the UAE when India refused to travel to Pakistan due to the political tension between the two countries.
Al Etihad
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Rouda Alserkal makes history as first Emirati Woman Grandmaster in chess
31 Mar 2025 23:04 KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)For long, the UAE has had one flag-bearer in chess. But now, it has two. Joining Salem AR Saleh in the Grandmaster (GM) category is Rouda Alserkal, who has become the first Woman Grandmaster (WGM) of the UAE and the Gulf region at prodigious talent has represented the national team across age categories as well as at the Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind Games. Although she achieved the title after winning the Arab Women's Championship – held in November at the Sharjah Chess and Cultural Club - the world governing body FIDE issued the certificate certificate, seen by Aletihad, is signed by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and says: "FIDE is pleased to confirm herewith that Rouda Essa Alserkal (ID: 9314318) of the United Arab Emirates has obtained the title of Woman Grandmaster in the year 2025."With this, the UAE has its second GM after Saleh, who incidentally achieved his GM status in 2009, the year Alserkal was born."Winning the Grandmaster norm feels amazing," Rouda said."I was so happy and honestly a bit relieved because all the hard work and training finally paid off, it was one of those moments where it takes a little while to sink in, and I just sat there thinking about how far I'd come."Personally, it felt like a huge achievement, that all the effort was worth it. For women's chess in the UAE, it meant a lot too, I hope it shows other girls that they can reach for big goals in chess. It's all about believing in yourself and working hard," she is now looking forward to competing in the Asian Individual Chess Championship in Abu Dhabi from May 6 to 15. She said that receiving the WGM title is a strong motivation for the UAE to achieve global recognition in expressed gratitude to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF).On behalf of the UAE Chess Federation, the chairperson of the women's committee, Kholood Al Zarouni, thanked the sports ministry, the National Olympic Committee, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club for their cooperation in developing the sport and players across emphasised that this achievement is a boost for women's chess and opens the door to more international titles, while motivating young players to continue training and participating in the Highlights· Won the 2014 Asian Championship Under-6 title· Won U20 title at the UAE Championship at the age of eight· 2017 World Cadets Championship in U8· World Schools U9 crown in 2018· Bronze medal in the 2023 Asian Youth U-14 category · Arab Women's Champion (multiple times)
Gulf Insider
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Insider
15-Year-Old Rouda Al Serkal Makes History As First Emirati Woman Grandmaster In Chess
Rouda Al Serkal created history recently by becoming the first Emirati woman grandmaster. The 15-year-old received the prestigious title from the International Chess Federation after she won the Arab Women's Championship held at the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club. 'Winning the grandmaster title feels amazing,' Rouda said. 'I was so happy and honestly a bit relieved because all the hard work and training finally paid off, it was one of those moments where it takes a little while to sink in, and I just sat there thinking about how far I'd come. 'Personally, it felt like a huge achievement, that all the effort was worth it, for women's chess in the UAE, it meant a lot too, I hope it shows other girls that they can reach for big goals in chess too, It's all about believing in yourself and working hard,' she added. Rouda now is looking forward to compete in the Asian Individual Chess Championship at the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club from May 6 to 15, and the World Youth and Women's Championships in July 2025. 'My goal is to keep improving and eventually earn my grandmaster title, I want to keep challenging myself in top tournaments with the elite chess players, and winning more world championships is definitely something I'm working towards, but right now I'm focused on growing as a player and seeing how far I can go in chess,' she said. Rouda started her chess career at an early age. At just five she won the Asian Championship Under-6 category. In the next few years, her mercurial rise saw her win more accomplishments, including the U-20 UAE Championship, the World Cadets Championship Under-8 in 2017, the World Schools Under-9 in 2018, bronze medal in the Asian Youth Under 14 category, the Jeddah Open Tournament and Arab Women Champion multiple times. She was also been crowned the World Champion in the Solving Puzzles Category C and the West Asian Champion. 'When I was four years old, we had a chessboard at home, and I would play all the time with my family, every day, I would ask my mom to sign me up for a chess club, but when we finally went, it was unfortunate that they couldn't accept me because I was too young. However, my first coach Hisham Al Argha gave me a chance to play with him, and when he saw that I could already move the knight, a piece that many kids take weeks to learn, he was immediately impressed, and he accepted me into the club, and from that moment, my chess journey began. 'I think my passion for chess really clicked during my first tournament. I just enjoyed the challenge and the process of figuring things out over the board, winning was a great feeling, but more than that, I liked how every game was different and how much there was to learn, that's when I knew I wanted to keep going and see how far I could improve,' Rouda said while thanking the UAE Chess Federation for organising tournaments and supporting the ambitions of players, as well as the efforts of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club in developing the capabilities of all its members through advanced programmes. Significant role Kholood Al Zarouni, chair of the Federation's Women's Committee, thanked the Ministry of Sports, the National Olympic Committee, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club, emphasising that this achievement is the result of cooperation among all sports entities with the federation. She praised the significant role played by the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club in developing players of both genders. Al Zarouni emphasised that the achievement represents a significant morale boost for women's chess, opens the door to further international titles, and motivates young players to continue training and participating. She noted that Rouda is a model of the ideal player who has achieved numerous titles and always aims for greater goals.
