President Sheikh Mohamed meets Emirati chess prodigy Rouda Essa Alserkal

UAE's first woman grandmaster impressed in the recently concluded Norway Chess Open

President Sheikh Mohamed meets Emirati chess grandmaster Rouda Essa Alserkal in Abu Dhabi. All Photos: Abdulla Al Neyadi / UAE Presidential Court

Sheikh Mohamed met Rouda, 15, during a reception at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Mohamed greets the mother of Rouda

President Sheikh Mohamed met UAE's first woman grandmaster Rouda Essa Alserkal, providing further encouragement to the fast-rising teenager who has made giant strides in the world of chess.

Sheikh Mohamed met Rouda, 15, during a reception at Qasr al Bahr in Abu Dhabi.

There, the UAE leader “reaffirmed the country’s commitment to supporting young Emirati sporting talents, developing their skills and capabilities, and harnessing all available resources to empower them to achieve sporting excellence at regional and international levels”, WAM reported.

Rouda, a product of the Abu Dhabi Chess Club, rose to prominence last year when she became the first Emirati woman grandmaster at the Arab Women’s Championship in Sharjah.

That success resulted in an invitation to the prestigious Norway Chess Open, where Rouda represented the UAE in a competition that featured the top chess players from across the world.

There, Rouda concluded her maiden appearance at the competition by winning three consecutive games.

Rouda, who turns 16 next month, endured a tough start to the tournament but found form from round seven, when she notched her first win against Norway’s Sigur H. Myny.

Emirati chess grandmaster Rouda Alserkal gears up for Norway Chess Open

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She carried the momentum, scoring her second consecutive win late last month against Italian Mauro Pivi, and capped her campaign earlier this month with victory over France’s Franck Gouanelle.

She finished with three wins, two draws and four losses.

“It was a learning experience more than anything else,” Alserkal said. “And I’m proud I stayed with it. Ending with three wins felt really special – I feel like I’m still leaving stronger than I arrived although I could have done much better.”

The teenager, who is aiming for the main Grandmaster title in the coming years, said she will learn from her mistakes.

“I was honestly hoping to gain around 100 rating points,” Rouda said. “Most of the rounds I lost, I was either winning or had a clear advantage but lost my way in the end. That’s what frustrated me the most.”

Tournament founder Kjell Madland lauded her fighting spirit.

“It is exactly this kind of story that reinforces Norway Chess as a truly global platform. To have young talents like Rouda travel all the way from the UAE to compete at this level adds richness and reach to what we’re building here,” he said.