Rouda Al Serkal’s debut at Norway Open Chess shows grit, growth and the hunger to improve

Dubai: Rouda Al Serkal might have left Stavanger with just three wins, but the UAE teenager gained something far more valuable at the Norway Chess Open: experience, perspective and the quiet confidence that comes from fighting back when things don’t go your way.

Competing in the General Masters category of the prestigious tournament, the 15-year-old — UAE’s first Woman Grandmaster — endured a bruising start but finished with three consecutive victories to close out her debut in style.

It was a tough introduction to elite senior-level chess. Her opening-round opponent on May 26 was Swedish Grandmaster Platon Galperin — one of the highest-rated players in the open category, who went on to finish fourth overall. Playing white, Rouda fought valiantly for 56 moves but eventually had to concede.

“It was tough to start like that and then mentally recover from there — I was disappointed,” she said. “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 second-round draw against American Luke Leon Robin Anatol offered a brief respite, but she stumbled again in round three, this time against Spain’s Lucia Follana Albelda — a game Rouda felt she had within her grasp.

“That was even more crushing as I had her completely in my grasp after opening with the Caro-Kann advanced variation, but somehow I just failed to capitalise.”

Two more difficult days followed, with a draw against Mexico’s Jan Enrique Zepeda Berlanga and defeats to Norwegians Ask Amundsen and Astor Moe Maurstad. Six rounds in, Rouda was still winless.

But the teenager, who is also a former world youth champion, didn’t allow the setbacks to define her.

Her breakthrough came in round seven against Norway’s Sigur H. Myny. Playing white, Rouda delivered a confident, calculated game to register her first win.

“Eventually I just found my footing,” she said. “I stopped overthinking, focused on basics, and trusted my training. Once that happened, things began to click.”

She followed it up with back-to-back wins — first against Italian Mauro Pivi, then France’s Franck Gouanelle in the final round — to end her campaign with three wins, two draws and four losses.

“I was honestly hoping to gain around 100 rating points,” Rouda admitted. “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.”

Even so, her late surge highlighted both her resilience and her rapid growth — hallmarks of a young player on the rise.

“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 spirited finish and her place in the event’s growing international reach.

“It is exactly this kind of story that reinforces Norway Chess as a truly global platform,” Madland said. “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.”