Rouda Essa Alserkal had a chessboard in her home from an early age. As a child, she would anxiously implore her mother to enrol her in a chess club, but when they finally went, she was turned away owing to her early age. Rouda was just four years old and could already move the knight, something that many children need weeks to learn. At 15, she has been named a Woman Grandmaster by the International Chess Federation, becoming the first Emirati and Gulf player to hold this important distinction.
Following her rejection from the chess club, Hisham Al Argha, a coach, discovered her talent. “He sensed the potential in me. He let me play with him, and when he saw I could already manoeuvre the knight, he was impressed and invited me to the club. “That’s when my chess journey truly began,” she explained.
Rouda discovered her affinity for chess during her very first event. “I really enjoyed the challenge of working things out on the board. Winning was exciting, but what I truly appreciated was the variety of each game and the limitless learning opportunities. “That’s when I realised I wanted to push myself and see how far I could go,” the Abu Dhabi resident explained.
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