Eman Sawan Starred At Chess Olympiad; Now She Wants To Make History

17-year-old WFM Eman Sawan from Palestine has emerged as one of the brightest stars in a region with limited support and traditions for chess. Her story has ignited a wave of support from the chess community with over 70 donors backing her dream to make history and break barriers. 

The teenager's story caught the attention of the chess world at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad last year. Among some of the world's best female players, and coming from a country without deep chess traditions, Sawan was in contention for a gold medal after scoring a perfect 7/7 on board one for the Palestine Women's team.

Although she missed out by giving away two draws, her undefeated 8/9 score was still phenomenal and earned her the Women's FIDE Master (WFM) title. "I was very proud of myself for playing so well, except that last game. It was a wonderful experience," she told Chess.com in an interview. "I met a lot of wonderful people."

She was interviewed by the chess media in Budapest, including Chess.com's FM Mike Klein.

Eman Sawan is leading Alexandra Kosteniuk in the race for individual gold on board 1 in the Women's #ChessOlympiad on 5/5 and a 2628 performance — that's despite missing Round 1 as her Palestine teammates hadn't yet made it to Budapest! https://t.co/gosAFQCKjs pic.twitter.com/7rFTzeYKMT

— chess24 (@chess24com) September 18, 2024

Sawan has lived in Jordan her whole life, but is the daughter of Palestinian refugees. Her love for chess began at the age of 12 when she learned the rules from her father. From that moment on, she was hooked, she says. Now she is dedicated to improving by spending from six to ten hours a day on the game. "Every day I become more and more obsessed. Sometimes my friends ask me to hang out, and I am like 'Maybe later, I am training!' Yeah, I am obsessed."

Asked what fascinates her about the game, she said, "I love that there are so many challenges that you need to figure out," before adding, with a grin, "And I especially love winning! Chess is perfect for me."

I love that there are so many challenges that you need to figure out. And I especially love winning!

—Eman Sawan

In a country with little tradition for chess and few over-the-board opportunities, Chess.com has been very helpful in her career. "I play a lot of bullet and blitz. I like fast time controls. I like the puzzles, I like everything," she says.

Despite the obstacles of limited financial resources and support, her talent and hard work have led to great achievements in tournaments abroad. She has won gold medals in the Arab Under 14 and 16 Championships and the 2024 Arab Women's Blitz Championship. As well as the WFM title she currently has a FIDE rating of 1991.

That makes her the highest-rated female player in her country, and already one of the most successful Palestinian chess players ever. "Chess has affected my life a lot. It has become my life. Every day I play chess. When I eat, I just watch videos."

Chess has affected my life a lot. It has become my life. Every day I play chess. When I eat, I just watch videos.

—Eman Sawan

She's currently ranked eighth among Palestinian players, but is determined to achieve her goal of earning the highest title in chess: "I want to become the first Palestinian grandmaster," she says. It would be a historic achievement, as Palestine's highest ranked player at the moment is an international master.

Last year her mother, who Eman describes as her biggest fan, launched a fundraiser to boost her daughter's chess career. The GoFundMe campaign supported her travel to Budapest and has so far received contributions from 70 donors, raising over $6,000.

She is grateful for the support of the chess community. "It helped me a lot. I spent all the money on traveling and playing tournaments," Sawan says. "It helped me to continue my journey. It feels really great."

Thanks to support from donations, and the Women In Chess Foundation, she has received coaching by a grandmaster she does not want to name. "I just want to focus on getting my level higher, then the rating will come. I need to continue working hard. Even if you don't have talent, working hard is a talent in itself."

Even if you don't have talent, working hard is a talent in itself.

—Eman Sawan

Eman's inspiring story has attracted attention beyond the chess world. She is one of the featured players in Queen's Castle, a new documentary project by Katie Dellamaggiore.

The American filmmaker became known for directing the award-winning documentary Brooklyn Castle, which followed inner-city junior high school students overcoming financial obstacles to achieve chess success, and is now capturing the journeys of female chess players worldwide.

As with many independent documentaries, funding remains a challenge, but the filmmakers are actively seeking partners to ensure the project reaches the widest audience possible. Next, they aim to film with Sawan in Jordan and help her secure a sponsor to support her chess career.

"When I first met Eman at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in India, I immediately recognized the intense passion and dedication you often see in brilliant chess players," Dellamaggiore said. "She's a fighter, and she doesn’t give up. I know that Eman can make history as the first Palestinian female chess player to reach the highest levels, and I want her to show the world what she’s capable of."

She's a fighter, and she doesn’t give up. I know that Eman can make history as the first Palestinian female chess player to reach the highest levels.

—Katie Dellamaggiore, filmmaker

Meanwhile, Eman Sawan is already looking ahead and hopes to play her first open tournament in Europe next month. She has received an invitation to play a strong event in San Vincente, Spain in April, and also plans to take part in the Sharjah Masters in the United Arab Emirates in May.

If you wish to contribute to Eman's chess journey, you can visit her GoFundMe page.