Sara Khadem: THE REAL QUEEN OF CHESS
INTRODUCTION
Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog.
Today I am very excited to present you the most detailed information about one of my favourite topics : SARA KHADEM. We all love chess and have a good attitude towards our fellow chess players. But have you ever heard of a chess player who is also an activist, fighting for her rights? Have you ever wondered if this is possible? The answer is right in front of you. The one and only "SARA KHADEM". Yes, you heard right. Sara Khadem is not only a great chess player, but also a great activist. Let us see what was the main reason for her protest. I hope you find her story as powerful and inspiring as I do!
Sara Khadem, also known by her full name Sarasadat Khadem al-Sharieh, was born on 11 March 1997 in Tehran (the capital and largest city of Iran). Her name stands out not only in the field of chess but also in the field of human rights. As such a highly skilled player, she has earned the titles of INTERNATIONAL MASTER (IM) and WOMEN GRANDMASTER (WGM). Her decision to openly defy Iran's strict hijab laws in 2022 is a symbol of courage and freedom. It inspires people beyond the chessboard. In this blog I will tell you about both her chess achievements and her courageous protest, which makes her "The Real Queen of Chess."
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2. Her Grandmaster Norm Completion.
5. Sara Khadem Meets Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
6. Played for the Spanish Team in Chess Olympiad 2024.
7. Sara Khadem Featured in ELLE Magazine.
9. The best game of Sara's Career.
Sara Khadem's rise in the chess world is truly impressive. Born in 1997, Sara enjoyed various sports as a child, including tennis and basketball. She was introduced to chess by one of her classmates at the age of eight. She convinced her parents to send her to chess lessons. Although her parents don't play chess, she credited them with being very supportive of her career. She was coached by Khosro Harandi (First Iranian International Master) and in her teenage years she was coached by Robin van Kampen (a Dutch Grandmaster).
Speaking of her achievements in the chess career, the list goes on and on. Let me give you an overview of some of her notable achievements in her early life:2.Won the World U-12 Girls Championship in 2009.
3.Won the Asian U-16 Girls Blitz Championship in 2012.
4.Won the World U16 Girls Blitz Championship in 2013.
5.Runners-up at the World Junior Girls Championship in 2014.
Most notably, she finished runner-up in both the 2018 Women's World Rapid Chess Championship and the 2018 Women's World Blitz Championship in St Petersburg.
She won the Spanish Women's Chess Championship of 2023 in Marbella.
Her Grandmaster Norm Completion
Sara Khadem was qualified for the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2015-16 as host city nominee because she had won the qualifying match against Atousa Pourkashiyan (Iranian-American player and the spouse of GM Hikaru Nakamura). In the Grand Prix stage held in her home city, though she was the lowest rated player, she finished in the second place and achieved her first norm.
The official cutout for the event is:
Back in late 2019, Sara Khadem was all set to become the next woman to win the GM title, needing just one more GM norm and around 10 Elo. But then her former federation, Iran, banned her from travelling abroad after she spoke out in support of Alireza Firouzja leaving their federation. Sara had supported Alireza Firouzja, a fellow chess player who left Iran for France in 2019. Khadem had said that if the Iranian government's policy of forcing players to forfeit matches against Israeli opponents hadn't been overturned, more players would have left Iran. This travel ban prevented her from playing the Gibraltar Masters and the Lausanne Grand Prix leg, two of her best chances to earn her final GM norm.
Four years and a long break later, it was unclear whether Sara, now 26, would ever return to chess full-time or to her former form at GM level. But towards the end of 2023, she proved that she could, with back-to-back 2500+ performances in the Spanish Championship and the El Llobregat Open!
Woohoo! This is the one moment you have all been waiting for. Let me explain in detail everything that happened.
Hijab is very important in Iranian culture. After the Iranian Revolution of 1979, on 7 March 1979, the Supreme Leader RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI made a rule that Hijab is compulsory for all women in government offices. Also women not wearing Hijab will be considered as NAKED and will be punished accordingly. He stated that women could wear any clothes they wished, but hijab was compulsory. His successor ALI KHAMENEI said that Hijab does not prevent any social, political or academic activity.
The protests and uprisings continued for several years. On 16 September 2022, 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini wore the hijab and broke the rule of the Iranian government. She died the same day in hospital under suspicious circumstances. The police officer claimed that she had suffered a HEART ATTACK at the police station, collapsed and fell into a coma before being taken to hospital. However, the eyewitness said that she died of police brutality. In addition, several leaked medical scans suggest that Amini suffered a cerebral haemorrhage or stroke as a result of head injuries sustained after her arrest.
The government claimed that she was having brain tumour at age of eight. But her father Amjad Amini stated that she doesn't have anything like that. He wasn't even allowed to see her daughter's body even after her death. When he asked for her autopsy report, the doctor said that "I will write whatever i want and you have nothing to do with it!" Amjad saw the body after it had been wrapped for burial and noticed bruises on her feet, but could not see the rest of the body because of the wrapping. And Iranian authorities denied to claim any injuries.
According to Iran Human Rights, as of 8 October 2022, at least 185 people have been killed as a result of the government's intervention in the protests, using tear gas and live ammunition, making the protests the deadliest since the 2019-2020 protests, which resulted in more than 1,500 deaths.
Speaking of Sara, She participated in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan on December 26, 2022 where she competed without a hijab which was mandatory for women in Iran. "Sara Khadem said her decision to play in the tournament in Kazakhstan last December without a headscarf was a slow process. The players only wore it in front of the cameras and she felt it was hypocritical. Given the sacrifices made by women and girls on the streets of Iran, some of them risking their lives, it was the least she could do, she said."
The picture depicts her bravery to fight against the cruel laws of Hijab and playing without a hijab in December 2022.
Sara Khadem had to leave the country along with her husband and one year old son in Jan 2023. An arrest warrant was released against her for not wearing hijab in chess tournament which I stated earlier. Her husband, Ardeshir Ahmadi, is a film director and internet show host who has also had direct experience of being on the wrong side of the Islamic Republic. He was beaten and imprisoned for three months for making a documentary about hip-hop. The decision to go into exile was a joint one.
She was forced to leave as she had threat to her life in Iran. She along with her family moved to Spain. She has been able to stay in Spain because of the golden visa rule, which allows anyone who buys a property worth half a million euros (£442,000; $536,000) to gain residency.
"In response to the exceptional circumstances of Mrs Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, I have just granted her Spanish nationality," Justice Minister Pilar Llop was quoted as saying in the country's Official State Gazette (BOE) on Wednesday.
Sara and her family continued to receive threatening phone calls and some other calls telling her to return to her hometown as she would be safe as they said "we will solve your problem". Her parents and relatives back home in Iran also received various threats. Now she is living in self-exile in southern Spain with 4 bodyguards with her for her safety and her house is far away from the population for the safety of the family and even reporters are not allowed to reveal her location as many Iranian people may come for her.
Sara Khadem Meets Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez invited Sara Khadem to meet him. The day was bittersweet.
"It was on that day that I was issued with arrest orders at home. So I had mixed feelings: I was appreciated in this country - and in my own country, where you have achieved lots of success, you get arrest papers." Sara said.
Pedro Sanchez posted on his official Twitter (X) account.
With this Sara Khadem won the hearts of many people in Spain and also in her hometown where she inspire women to raise the protest against such laws.
Played for the Spanish team in Chess Olympiad 2024
Sara has changed her federation from Iran to Spain. That's what the thumbnail on the blog says. Sara starred for Spain in her first Olympics, scoring an unbeaten 7.5/9 on the top board and narrowly missing out on gold to China's GM Zhu Jiner.
It was her first Olympiad for the Spanish team and she played for Board 1 and won the silver medal for Board 1, a fabulous achievement in her chess career. She is now the highest rated female chess player in all of Spain with a live rating of 2477.5 and is currently ranked #18th in the world. Hats off to such a brave woman who can concentrate on the game with such issues of security and life in exile!
Sara Khadem Featured in ELLE Magazine
Now, in the International Women's Day issue of Elle magazine, IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh-also known as Sara Khadem-is on the cover in her adopted country of Spain.
In her interview with the glossy publication, Khadem tells her own inspiring and incredible story, and also posed for a photo shoot in which she features a chessboard. She described how her love of chess grew from the age of eight. "I liked it from the beginning," she said.
With a nod to International Women's Day, she also paid tribute to all the women who have inspired her, including her grandmother and the strongest female chess player of all time, GM Judit Polgar.
Khadem revealed how she chose Spain as a place of refuge after visiting Malaga when she played in the Gibraltar International Chess Festival. "We had Spain in mind because I used to go to the Gibraltar International Chess Festival and we really liked Malaga."
"Before we had Sam [her son], we never really thought about leaving Iran completely," she said. "But when he was born, we thought it might be a good idea to have a second home, that it would be good for him."
Sara, the mother-of-one, who is married to Iranian film director Ardeshir Ahmadi, was given a warm welcome when she arrived in Spain. She was even invited to meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who described her as "inspiring".
Her mind is still very much on Iran: "I want to think that one day everything will change. It all started because of the women, but some men are fighting back too. There are many of us who are in this together."
She is learning Spanish and has enrolled at university, and her son is happy. Khadem has said she intends to return to competition soon. She will be welcomed there too. She also shared an image of herself with Sam (her son) on Facebook. She is now enjoying her life to the fullest with family.
She is also featured in Vogue Spain. You can look at that...
The BEST Game of Sara's Career
Ahaha! I am sure you forgot about it after reading her struggle, protest and determination! But don't worry! I got you covered!
There are many best games of her. But the most notable that i personally think is the best is the FIDE Online Steinitz Memorial (Women) where she beat Antoaneta Stefanova. Let's Look at her most notable game!
CONCLUSION
I personally think that all that Sara had done is absolutely correct and such cruel rules should be removed from the society. I am really inspired and hope you also get the same inspiration from her! The bravery to leave the country is just beyond anything! She is really "THE REAL QUEEN OF CHESS." Thank you all for making this far to read my blog. It takes huge amount of effort and time for writing such blogs with huge amount of research and finally Hope you like the blog!
THANK YOU!
