15-Year-Old Rouda Al Serkal Makes History As First Emirati Woman Grandmaster In Chess

Gulf Insider

31-03-2025

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.