Category Archives: Sports & Recreations

Rouda Al Serkal wraps up maiden Norway Chess Open campaign with hat-trick of wins

UAE’s first Woman Grandmaster ends maiden campaign in Stavanger with 3 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses, showing resilience after early setbacks

Stavanger, Norway, June 1 – UAE’s rising chess star Rouda Al Serkal signed off her maiden appearance at the Norway Chess Open with a flourish, winning three consecutive games to close out the prestigious tournament’s General Masters (GM) category on a high.

The 15-year-old showed remarkable resilience over nine gruelling rounds, bouncing back from early struggles to finish with a total of 4 points overall – a performance that not only demonstrated her talent but also her ability to adapt and learn against more experienced opponents.

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CHESS STARS TURN COWBOYS FOR A DAY AT NORWAY CHESS GAMES 2025

Stavanger (Norway), 31st May 2025: In a dramatic twist from the chessboard to the Wild West, the world’s top chess players swapped pawns for pistols, sieves, and lassos in this year’s edition of Norway Chess Games.

Held on a tournament rest day, the tradition of light-hearted competition continued in unforgettable fashion with the “Chess Cowboy Challenge”, a high-spirited showdown in Westernbyen, a Western-themed village in Ålgård, just outside Stavanger.

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Rouda Al Serkal makes UAE history with debut at Norway Chess in open category

Tournament director Kjell Madland hails Emirati prodigy as a symbol of progress for Emirati  women in global sport and one who’s breaking barriers “we didn’t even know existed”

Stavanger, Norway, May 27 – In a landmark moment for UAE sport and the Arab world, 15-year-old Rouda Al Serkal, the country’s first Woman Grandmaster (WGM), made her debut at the prestigious Norway Chess Open tournament, competing here for the first time. Her participation marks a new era for Emirati women in international chess, putting the UAE firmly on the map in a sport long dominated by European and Asian powerhouses.

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From Gooey Fun to Mesmerising Wonder: Eid Holiday Experiences for Families

Dubai, UAE – 27 May 2025

This Eid Al Adha, OliOli® is bringing double the excitement to families in Dubai with the launch of two sensational exhibitions: SlimeMania, a brand-new immersive experience designed for gooey, hands-on fun, and the highly anticipated return of Museum of the Moon, a spectacular lunar installation that has captured the hearts of thousands in previous years.

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World Champion Gukesh arrives in Stavanger; pegs the face-off against Magnus Carlsenas a ‘fun challenge’

Stavanger (Norway), 25th May 2025: The youngest world chess champion Gukesh Dommaraju arrived in Stavanger on Saturday for the most-awaited contest of the year at the Norway Chess 2025 scheduled to begin from 26 May here at the Sparebank 1 Sør-Norge headquarters.

For the first time since he was crowned the world chess champion, after beating Ding Liren in a best-of-14-game match in Singapore last year, the 18-year-old will face-off against World No.1 Magnus Carlsen in the classical format.

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