Iranian chess player participates without the mandatory hijab in an international tournament

Iranian chess player Sara Khadem competes without wearing a hijab at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan on December 26, 2022.

(CNN) --

Iranian chess player Sara Khadem, also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, participated without a hijab in an international tournament, Iranian news outlet Jamaran reported Tuesday.

Khadem is the most recent athlete to compete without a hijab since anti-government protests erupted in September.

• Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi returns to Tehran after competing without hijab

In photos shared by Jamaran, Khadem appears without his hijab, which is mandatory under Iran's dress code, during his participation in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

CNN has reached out to Khadem's Instagram page for comment.

Sara Khadem, born in 1997, is ranked 804th among active players globally and is number 10 in Iran, according to the International Chess Federation.

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In October, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without her mandatory hijab, later saying she accidentally dropped it.

However, it is not clear if Rekabi's comments were made under duress.

In November, Iranian archer Parmida Ghasemi showed her support for anti-government protests by removing her hijab during an awards ceremony in Tehran, later saying she did not notice it fell off.

• Prominent Iranian actress posts hijab-free photo in support of anti-government protests

Video shared on social media shows her dropping her veil in what was widely interpreted as a show of support for the protests across the country.

Iran's deputy sports minister Maryam Kazemipour said in November that athletes who acted against Islamic rules "regretted" their actions afterwards and "are looking for an opportunity to make up for their mistake."

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