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It was to be assumed from the outset that the performance would not be well received by the Tehran regime – and at the latest after the reaction of the Iranian Chess Federation it was clear. He hastened to announce that Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, who often goes by the shorter name of Sara Khadem, had entered the World Rapid Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan “on her own initiative”. The 25-year-old grandmaster, who has been considered one of the world’s most promising players for years, competed in the tournament without a hat – which was taken as a sign of solidarity with the protest movement in the country. Her compatriot Atousa Pourkashian also competed without a hijab.