Iranian chess player Sara Khadem competes at World Blitz Chess Championship without hijab

Sara Khadem, an International chess player representing Iran had competed at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, without the hijab - a headscarf mandatory under Iran's strict dress codes, reported Iranian news outlets Khabarvarzeshi on Monday. This comes in the wake of demonstrations sparked by the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini who died in the custody of morality police who detained her for "inappropriate attire".

The International Chess Federation posted photos of players from the event being held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, including a photo of Khadem looking down at the chessboard with her hair loose around her shoulders. Khadem is the only Iranian woman competing in the tournament. Khadem, born in 1997 and also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, is ranked 804 in the world, according to the International Chess Federation website. The website for the Dec. 25-30 event listed her as a participant in both the Rapid and Blitz competitions.

Other similar instances

One of the longest-running anti-government protests against the Iranian administration since the Iran revolution of 1979 entered its hundredth day on Monday. The protest which erupted after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini has taken a violent route following the brutal crackdown of the protest by the Iranian administration.

In October, rock climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without wearing a hijab, drawing attention from those who saw that as an act of solidarity with the anti-government protesters. Upon arriving back in Tehran after the event, Rekabi told Iranian state television that competing without a hijab had been unintentional. In November, an Iranian archer said she did not notice her hijab falling during an awards ceremony in Tehran, after a video appeared to show her allowing the headscarf to drop in what was also widely assumed to be a show of support for protesters.