STAVANGER, Norway, 1st June, 2025 —
UAE’s rising chess star Rouda Al Serkal concluded her debut appearance at the prestigious Norway Chess Open with a resounding comeback, winning her final three consecutive games in the General Masters (GM) category. The 15-year-old, who is the UAE’s first Woman Grandmaster and a former world youth champion, finished the grueling nine-round tournament with 4 points, highlighting both her resilience and rising international stature.
Coming off a strong performance at the Asian Individual Women’s Championship in Al Ain just two weeks earlier, Al Serkal entered Stavanger with confidence and optimism. But the challenge of stepping into a senior GM field quickly became apparent. In the first round, she battled for 56 moves before conceding defeat to Swedish GM Platon Galperin, one of the tournament’s highest-rated players.
“It was tough to start like that and then mentally recover from there – I was disappointed,” said Al Serkal. “I didn’t feel like I was getting my game right, and it was demoralising to lose after such a long fight. But I knew I had to regroup quickly.”
Her journey continued with a well-fought draw against American player Luke Leon Robin Anatol in the second round, followed by a tough defeat at the hands of Lucia Follana Albelda from Spain.
“That was even more crushing as I had her completely in my grasp after opening with Caro Kahn Advanced Variation, but somehow I just failed to capitalise.”
Over the next two days, Rouda recorded another draw — versus Mexico’s Jan Enrique Zepeda Berlanga — and suffered back-to-back losses to Norwegians Ask Amundsen and Astor Moe Maurstad.
Despite these continued setbacks, Al Serkal’s determination did not waver. In an impressive turnaround, she notched her first win in round seven against Norway’s Sigur H. Myny, playing white.
“Eventually I just found my footing,” said Al Serkal. “I stopped overthinking, focused on basics, and trusted my training. Once that happened, things began to click.”
She maintained her form with a victory over Italian player Mauro Pivi on May 30, and rounded off her tournament with a composed final-round triumph over French competitor Franck Gouanelle.
With three wins, two draws, and four losses, her showing was a compelling exhibition of growth under pressure. Though her overall performance may not have met her personal expectations, it clearly marked her as a formidable emerging talent on the international stage.
“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.”
Still, she reflected on her experience positively, noting both the symbolic and personal significance of her inclusion. As the first Emirati woman to compete in the Norway Chess Open’s GM category, Al Serkal carried more than just her own ambitions — she was representing a growing legacy of UAE chess.
“It was a learning experience more than anything else,” she 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.”
Tournament founder Kjell Madland praised her strong finish, stating: “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 in Stavanger.”
Meanwhile, in the elite Norway Chess supertournament taking place at the SpareBank 1 SR-Bank venue, world number one Magnus Carlsen and reigning two-time Women’s World Rapid Chess Champion Koneru Humpy remain hot on the leaders’ heels as the final rounds near conclusion.
— Team V.4-EM-UAE
