Ali Thameem
At just 13, Nuha Rilwan made history as the first Maldivian to earn the title of Woman FIDE Master (WFM)—a milestone she held alone for six years. Now 19, she has represented the national chess team for nearly a decade.
Nuha is among a rare group of players worldwide to hold a FIDE master title. Even rarer still is the fact that only one in ten of these titled players are women and girls.
But how did she rise from a promising young talent to a professional? What inspired her, and what sets her apart in the world of chess?
How It Started
Nuha’s chess journey began in 2016 when she was ten years old. Her father introduced her to a chess coach, the late Ahmed Fuad, known as Dhooni. Under his guidance, she prepared for her first chess competition.
Her strong performances early on earned her a spot on the national team. Within months, she progressed from an unknown player to representing the Maldives at international tournaments, starting with the Commonwealth Chess Championship.
A few weeks later, she traveled to Azerbaijan for the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Baku. She scored 4.5 points in 11 games—the second-best result on the Maldivian team, behind Zaura Abdhulla’s 7 points. At just 11 years old, she became one of the youngest athletes to represent the Maldives in a senior international tournament.
“Growing up, I did not play chess just as a hobby. If I played, it was to practice and improve—whether with a coach or by analyzing my own games.”
In November 2016, Nuha competed at the U14 Asian Nations Cup in Jiaxing, China. She had just turned 11 but secured her place in the event by winning all 11 games at the national team selection.
National and School Championships
While her early success propelled her onto the international stage, Nuha also maintained a strong presence in national-level tournaments.
From age 10 to 17, she held a seven-year winning streak in the girls’ category of the Maldives Chess Federation’s Junior Chess Championship. In her second year competing in the U18 category, she lost the title to Mariyam Laisa Abdul Rasheed.
In the senior national championship, Nuha has won several bronze and silver medals but has yet to secure the gold. The current women’s national champion, Nihaya Ahmed—whom Nuha identifies as her strongest opponent—has claimed the title ten times.
In addition to national-level events, Nuha has an almost perfect track record at interschool tournaments.
“My first-ever interschool tournament was in 2017. Our team, Jamaluddeen School, won first place in the U12 category, and I scored 8 out of 9 rounds”.
She helped her school defend the title the following year as well.
In 2022, when the Maldives Chess Association introduced an individual category within the interschool tournament for the first time, Nuha won 1st place with a perfect 9/9 score. She repeated that success in 2023, again securing 1st place and maintaining her title as women’s section champion.
In 2024, the individual event was not held, so she competed in both the U20 Girls Team and U20 Open Team categories. Representing Ahmadhiyya International School (AIS), her team placed 1st in both divisions—and Nuha won all her games in both events.
Becoming a Woman FIDE Master
In 2018, Nuha represented the Maldives at the 43rd Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia, where she scored 6.5 points in 10 rounds. This was her second Olympiad appearance, having played at the 42nd edition in Baku two years earlier.
The Maldivian teammates of Nuha – Aishath Alya Mohamed and Nihaya Ahmed – both did perform well too, scoring 4.5 and 4 points respectively at the Batumi Olympiad.
There are a couple pathways for a female chess player to earn a Woman FIDE Master Title; one of which is to score 6.5 points at an Olympiad – six wins and a draw was enough for Nuha.
Olympiads are the chess equivalent of the Olympic games, and takes place every two years. As of the present, Nuha has represented Maldives in three of the Olympiads; She later went on to compete at the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai in 2022
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A Difficult Decision: Missing the 2024 Olympiad
Balancing academic responsibilities with competitive chess has been one of the most consistent challenges in Nuha Rilwan’s career. Finding time for both has never been easy. In addition to her chess commitments, Nuha held leadership roles in school—she was School Captain at Jamaluddin School in Grade 10 and Deputy School Captain at Ahmadhiyya International School in Grade 12.
“I have sacrificed international tournaments because they clashed with exams or key revision weeks,” she says. “On the other hand, I’ve missed many school days for international tournaments. So I’d say both have been the biggest challenges for each other.”
Having spent her teenage years as dedicated chess player, this dilemma of balancing it with life, especially school work, was becoming a huge concern.
“To say that it’s stressful to balance the two—school and chess—would be an understatement” says Nuha. “I never wanted to sacrifice either”.
In 2024, the World Chess Olympiad in Budapest coincided with her final revision period ahead of her A-level examinations. After consulting with her family, Nuha made the decision to withdraw from the Olympiad.
“With advice from parents and family, I sacrificed the tournament I love to play the most—the World Chess Olympiad 2024. It was difficult but definitely worth it because I believe the sacrifice played a crucial role in me achieving first place in A-levels and receiving a presidential scholarship.”
Nuha understood well that all great moves – in life as in chess – require great sacrifice. But then again, had she taken part in the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest, her FIDE ratings could have continued its upward trend.
Looking Ahead
Despite the ongoing challenges of balancing life, academics, and chess—and the mental demands that come with it—Nuha remains optimistic about her future in the sport. Her next goal is a collective one: for the Maldivian national team to win gold in their category. The upcoming 46th Chess Olympiad, scheduled to take place in Uzbekistan next year, presents the perfect opportunity for the team to pursue that target.
Over the years, several exceptional female players alongside Nuha have represented the Maldives on the international stage. Their steady climb in ratings suggests that more Maldivian players are beginning to earn FIDE-recognised titles. Following the 2024 Budapest Olympiad, three female players reached significant milestones: Aminath Sara Haleem and Nihaya Ahmed were awarded the title of Woman Candidate Master (WCM), and Aishath Iva Hassan earned the title of Woman FIDE Master (WFM).
As of the present, Nuha and Iva are the two WFMs in Maldives. But the progress of these players reflects a growing competitive presence for Maldivian women, in both domestic and international chess—a momentum that Nuha hopes will continue.
Advise to Beginners
When asked on what her advise would be to young and aspiring chess players, she nails it down to one simple, but difficult rule; consistency. “Whatever method of training you do, just stay consistent with it,”. she says.
“Consistency is definitely the key to improvement, whether you’re a beginner or a professional.”
Nuha also encourages young players to compete as often as possible. “Playing tournaments can help you improve by learning from stronger opponents and from your own mistakes. It’s very different from solving puzzles or reading books at home.”
While she doesn’t follow a fixed training schedule, Nuha enjoys solving chess puzzles and watching instructional content online. Some of her favorite chess streamers and content creators include Hikaru Nakamura, Chess Talk, GothamChess, and the Botez sisters.
In terms of openings, Nuha has a preference for classical lines. “For White, I mostly enjoy playing Italian, and for Black, I prefer Sicilian variations”.
Nuha expresses deep gratitude to the people who have stood by her throughout her journey. “I’m immensely grateful to my parents, who have believed in me since day one and have sacrificed anything and everything for my growth as a player.”
She also extends a heartfelt mention to her extended family: “From my family, I would especially like to highlight my maama—she has always been incredibly supportive when I’m playing tournaments. She calls to check on me every night I have national or international matches and offers constant encouragement and advice, which I’m truly thankful for.”
Nuha also thanks her coaches for their guidance and the role they played in shaping her into the chess player that she is. “I have my deepest gratitude for all my coaches over the years, especially my private coaches—Dhooni Sir, Zahir Sir, and Miss Kaussar—for everything they have taught me.”
And most importantly, she says “This beautiful journey as a chess player would not have been possible without the guidance of Allah (SWT). Alhamdhulillah for all I have and all that is yet to come.”
