In support of the ongoing protests against the need that women wear headscarves, two Iranian women are competing in a chess match without them. The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships are being held this week in Almaty, Kazakhstan. sara Khadem and Atousa Pourkashiyan are competing there. In the five-day competition, Khadem was also spotted playing without a headscarf on Wednesday, according to The Independent.

The 25-year-old Khadem, also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, is a rising star in the world of Iranian competitive chess and has had a tumultuous relationship with the authorities. She left the national team in 2020 only to re-join it later that year. She has played in four games in Almaty and three losses. Iranian champion Pourkashiyan (age 34) has won six times. Over the course of the first two days of the competition, she has won five times, lost one, and drawn twice.

At public events or on social media, many actors and celebrities have been spotted without the required hijab. They did, however, represent the Islamic Republic of Tehran's government by participating in international sporting tournaments. Elnaz Rekabi's home was destroyed earlier this month by Islamic enforcers working for Tehran's clerical government. Rekabi is a champion climber who participated in a match in south korea in october while wearing her hair down. A competitive Iranian archer debuted last month in Tehran at an awards ceremony without her headscarf.

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