Today's Edition
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 Open.
At 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 tournament.
Speaking 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 said.
The 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 added.
Alserkal's 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 tournament.
Lauding 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 UAE.
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 €13,000.
Ahmed 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."
