The Spanish chess player Sara Khadem, European runner-up in the blitz modality

The stability regained in Sara Khadem's life translates into brilliant results. A year after taking refuge in the south of Spain – the government nationalised her in the fastest way in July – the chess player, born in Iran 26 years ago, has achieved two successes in one month: she climbed to 13th place on the world list in the classical modality after her good play in the very demanding Llobregat Open; and this Friday he won the silver medal at the European Blitz in Monte Carlo (Monaco).

Psychological strength was the key to the medal, judging by what Khadem told EL PAÍS by phone: "The first half of the tournament was very bad for me [four wins and three losses]. I calculated that I needed ten points out of thirteen to get on the podium, which required me to win the last six. So I set out to play with maximum concentration and give my best." She certainly did, and capped off that winning streak with a last-round victory over champion Alexandra Kosteniuk of Switzerland, who was a world champion in the classic when she was Russian.

Khadem has quickly adapted to his new life on the Andalusian coast (he is keeping his exact location secret for security reasons), which he already knew because he had participated several times in the Gibraltar Open. Her husband, filmmaker Ardeshir Ahmadi, has put his profession on hold to help Khadem so she can devote the time she needs to her training while someone else takes care of their son, Sam, who is almost two.

Khadem had already suffered reprisals in Iran for his political stances in opposition to the government, which slowed his rise to the elite, rapid from child prodigy to adulthood. But refusing to play in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Almaty (Kazakhstan), when her country was in turmoil after the death of the young Mahsa Amini after being tortured by the police, exceeded all the red stripes – the Government issued a search and arrest warrant against her – and forced her to emigrate immediately to Spain without returning to Iran. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez received her a few days later at La Moncloa, which greatly accelerated the procedures for her nationalization.

In October, when she was proclaimed Spanish women's champion, she became convinced that she could set high goals: "My life is already quite settled in Spain, although it is true that the visits of my Iranian family take up my time, but that is something very pleasant. I've set myself my sights on getting into the top ten in the world, and that's what I'm training hard for."

105 chess players from 24 countries have played in Monte Carlo; among them, twelve Spaniards. Marta Garcia fought for the medals, but lost in the last two rounds to the champion Kosteniuk and the Georgian Bella Jotenashvili, the bronze medalist, which took her to 8th place.

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