Latest news with #AbuDhabiChess&MindGamesClub
Al Etihad
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Young talent on board as Abu Dhabi Chess Club hosts International Chess Day Tournament
20 July 2025 23:04 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)Abu Dhabi Chess Club celebrated the annual International Chess Day, July 20, with a tournament that attracted the participation of 400 players, showing that the future of the sport looks Ahmed Al Khouri, Executive Director at the Abu Dhabi Chess & Mind Games Club, said the UAE capital has strengthened its status regionally in the world of chess through initiatives aimed at nurturing local talent and positioning the sport as an essential element of the emirate's cultural and educational a strong focus on youth talent development, the UAE capital could very well produce the next Rouda Al Serkal, the 15-year-old prodigy who made history as the first Emirati woman chess grandmaster earlier this an interview with Aletihad, Al Khouri said: "The Abu Dhabi Chess & Mind Games Club is a cornerstone of the UAE and international chess movement, given its pioneering role in organising the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival, which has been held annually since 1991 and is considered one of the largest chess events in the world. "The last edition of the festival saw the participation of approximately 2,545 players from 67 different nationalities."To mark International Chess Day this year, the club hosted an international tournament at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) on Sunday, with over 400 players, in addition to a variety of educational activities and competitions."We are keen to celebrate International Chess Day by spreading the culture of chess and enhancing its popularity across Abu Dhabi and the UAE," Al Khouri club also serves as an important vehicle for youth development."The club attracts more than 600 members of all ages and genders. In collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Ministry of Education, we visit schools across the emirate to establish chess clubs under the guidance of international coaches," he grassroots investment in talent has already borne fruit. He added: "Our players have achieved notable international accomplishments. Rouda Al Serkal won the World Chess Championship (8-year-old category) in Brazil in 2018, the World Schools Championship (9-year-old category) in Albania in 2019, the Asian Women's Amateur Chess Championship in 2023, and the Arab Women's Championship in 2024. "She was the first Emirati woman to earn the title of International Grandmaster and is now ranked among the top 100 female players in the world." Al Khouri also noted the success of Omran Al Hosani, who has been named International Master and has won numerous national and regional titles, with the club's juniors scooping six gold medals in 2024 alone."These achievements reflect the success of our strategic training approach and have significantly increased public interest in joining the club," Al Khouri its attempt to promote inclusivity, the club has also worked to grow female participation and integrate chess in schools."We recently organised the Abu Dhabi Sports Championship for Schools and Universities and are distributing a chess curriculum across schools and universities. Female membership has now surpassed male participation, leading to multiple wins in the women's category, including the UAE Women's Championship."Technology is also a cornerstone of the club's growth strategy."We operate a dedicated online platform with over 1,000 users, offering weekly tournaments and personalised training programs supervised by elite coaches. This modern environment helps players of all ages and skill levels improve continuously."Furthermore, the club is working to broaden its impact by promoting other mind sports and reinforcing Abu Dhabi's role as a leader in strategic thinking."By 2025, we plan to add three more mind games and expand our community of enthusiasts. Chess, after all, is not just a pastime - it is a powerful tool for cognitive growth," Al Khouri emphasised. He concluded by highlighting chess's key mental benefits, such as strengthening strategic thinking, improving focus, boosting memory, as well as enhancing problem-solving skills.
Al Etihad
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
UAE's Alserkal invited to big league in Norway after WGM status
10 Apr 2025 01:24 KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)It's heady days for Rouda Alserkal, the newly crowned first woman Grandmaster of UAE chess. Fresh from her norm being ratified, the 15-year-old will be heading to Norway to participate in a tournament with heavyweights of the chess world, on a special invite by organisers of the Norway Chess a press conference in Dubai at the Seven Seas hotel on Wednesday evening, it was confirmed that Alserkal will be travelling to the coastal city of Stavanger to participate in the May 26 to June 6 to Aletihad on her way to the conference, Alserkal said the news has barely sunk in. "When I saw the message, when I woke up about a week ago, I could not believe it; it sounded too good to be true, you know, like a scam. But then my club – Abu Dhabi Chess & Mind Games Club (ADCC) – confirmed it," the excited teen Norway Chess Open will be the home event of world No.1 and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, besides big names such as D Gukesh, current world champion and India's youngest to do so, Hikaru Nakamura, the Fischer Random chess world champion, India's first WGM Koneru Humpy and many more."I was very close to beating [India WGM] Dronavalli Harika in a rapid game at the Asian Chess Championship. I lost eventually, but that game gave me belief. When I received this [Norway] news, I told my coach immediately that I need to start preparing," she belief turned into determination as she doubled up her training hours from the four hours she used to dedicate to it before achieving the WGM norm last November. She did not wait for her title to be ratified, which was last week. "I have cut down on my fun time. But I am not really complaining about that because if I want to achieve greatness, of course, I'll have to sacrifice something."I was speaking to Salem Saleh [the only Grandmaster UAE had until Alserkal] two days ago, and we discussed openings and endgames as areas I must focus on more. Besides, with opportunities like this, I want to target entering the 2,300 Elo rating mark," said Alserkal, adding that she is looking forward to potential interactions with elite players and gaining insights during the Alserkal's achievements, Norway Chess managing director Kjell Madland said: "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 also expressed interest in creating future synergies with potential partners in the Grandmaster group, in which Alserkal has been invited to participate, will have nine rounds, with opportunities for title norms and a prize fund of €13, Alawlaqi, the media spokesperson of ADCC, said it was a source of pride to see one of their own flourishing. "What Rouda has achieved is not just for herself, but for the whole country. We are now looking at our other players now to reach such levels. This partnership with Norway Chess recognises the hard work we have put in with events such as the AD Chess Festival, which is popular in many parts of the world, how far Abu Dhabi has come with its public reputation and having many such partnerships in the UAE and abroad."
