Chess masters in Iran have chaffed against government restrictions on their conduct abroad. Women must wear hijabs in public, just as they would be expected to at home, and any player scheduled to play against an Israeli must forfeit the game. Any violation of these rules would mean personal punishment and likely repercussions for your family as well.
World News Group describes a few Iranian chess players who took a stand or suffered an forfeit and reacted by seeking asylum in France, England, or America.
Many Iranian stars like Firouzja go to France, but Moradiabadi recalled that when he visited the French Embassy, staff were condescending about having certain paperwork. When he went to the U.S. Embassy, the woman helping him kept saying “okie dokie” and told him she would help with any copies of forms he forgot.
In 2012 he obtained a U.S. green card and in 2017 became an American citizen: “That was a happy day for me.” Moradiabadi was delighted to see an Iranian women’s grandmaster, Dorsa Derakhshani, playing for the United States a few years ago, after the Iranian federation expelled her for not wearing a hijab at a tournament. She was a student of his in Iran as a young girl.
“Actors are leaving, artists are leaving, it’s everything. Chess is one of many things,” said Moradiabadi.
“Refugees’ Gambit” by Emily Belz, April 8, 2021