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Outlook: A top Iranian chess umpire and her impossible decision

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17/06/2021 GMT

A top Iranian chess umpire and her impossible decision

BBC World Service - Outlook, A top Iranian chess umpire and her impossible decision

Shohreh Bayat was one of Asia’s top chess umpires until she was faced with an ultimatum

As one of Iran’s top chess judges Shohreh Bayat appreciated rules but after being told to cover her hair at an international chess tournament she made a brave and costly decision.

As the only female Category-A International Arbiter in Asia, Shohreh Bayat has represented Iran at chess tournaments all around the world. That position came with a big responsibility and a lot of rules as to what she could and could not do and more importantly, wear.

In Iran, the law requires women to wear modest "Islamic" clothing. This requirement was extended to those representing the country abroad and although many women wear the hijab by choice, it was not something Shohreh felt comfortable or agreed with.

The highlight of Shohreh’s impressive career came at the start of 2020 when she travelled to Shanghai for the Women’s World Chess Championship. It was during this tournament that a photo appeared in the Iranian media appearing to show Shohreh not wearing a hijab. That photo led to an ultimatum and what would be the biggest and most difficult decision of her career.

A fake wedding, a double life and forged documents. In 2013 investigative journalist Benita Alexander was making a documentary about 'super-surgeon' Paolo Macchiarini and his pioneering synthetic organ transplants. The pair quickly fell in love and Benita was swept into a whirlwind romance. Paolo proposed, but the fairytale soon began to unravel when she discovered that the extravagant star-studded wedding he told her he was planning was all a lie. But the fake wedding was just the beginning.

Picture: Shohreh Bayat
Credit: Getty Images

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