Chess players
Sarasadat Khademalsharieh
International Master, Spain. FIDE rating 2414, October 2026.
Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, known as Sara Khadem, is an international master who has played for Spain since July 2023. She is rated 2414 and ranked 37th among women on the FIDE list of October 2026. No event of hers after October 2026 had been announced on 20 October 2026.
- FIDE title
- International Master
- Federation
- Spain
- Born
- 10 March 1997, Tehran, Iran
- Classical rating
- 2414 (October 2026)
- Rapid rating
- 2346
- Blitz rating
- 2332
- Peak rating
- 2494 (2020)
- FIDE id
- 12512214
Khademalsharieh was born in Tehran and was one of Iran's strongest juniors: Asian under-12 girls' champion in 2008, world under-12 girls' champion in 2009, Asian under-16 girls' blitz champion in 2012 and world under-16 girls' blitz champion in 2013. She was second at the 2014 World Junior Girls Championship and won the Iranian championship in 2015. FIDE gave her the woman grandmaster title in 2013 and the international master title in 2015.
At the Tehran event of the 2015-16 FIDE Women's Grand Prix she finished second while rated lowest in the field. Her classical rating peaked at 2494 in 2020, six points short of the 2500 needed for the grandmaster title. At the 2022 World Rapid and Blitz Championships she played without the headscarf that Iranian law requires; an arrest warrant was issued against her in Iran, and in January 2023 she left the country and moved to Spain with her husband and son.
She transferred to the Spanish federation in July 2023 and became a Spanish citizen that month, as the top-rated woman in Spain, and she played the 2023 Women's World Cup for Spain. At the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest the Spanish women's team tied for third place. On the October 2026 list she is rated 2414 in classical chess, 2346 in rapid and 2332 in blitz, 37th among women.
Since 2025 she has finished sixth at Norway Chess Women in Stavanger with 9 points, after a last-round loss to Lei Tingjie, and third in two Global Chess League seasons: with the PBG Alaskan Knights in Mumbai in December 2025 and with the FYERS American Gambits in Bengaluru in September 2026. In the first league season, in Dubai in 2023, she scored 5/10 after replacing Nana Dzagnidze. She was not in Spain's team at the 2026 Olympiad in Samarkand, and she is not in the women's section of the European Club Cup in Budva.
Next events
No event of Khademalsharieh after October 2026 had been announced on 20 October 2026.
Recent results
| Event | Dates | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Global Chess League 2026, Bengaluru (FYERS American Gambits) | 5 to 13 September 2026 | Third; the Gambits beat the CheQ Mumba Masters 7.5-4.5 in the third-place play-off |
| Global Chess League 2025, Mumbai (PBG Alaskan Knights) | December 2025 | Third; the Knights beat the Ganges Grandmasters 4-2 in the third-place match |
| Norway Chess Women 2025, Stavanger | 26 May to 6 June 2025 | 6th of 6 with 9 points |
| 45th Chess Olympiad (women), Budapest | September 2024 | Spain's women's team tied for third place |
| Global Chess League 2023, Dubai | 2023 | 5/10 after replacing Nana Dzagnidze |
Career highlights
- 1.Won the world under-12 girls' championship in 2009.
- 2.Won the world under-16 girls' blitz championship in 2013.
- 3.Gained the woman grandmaster title in 2013 and the international master title in 2015.
- 4.Won the Iranian championship in 2015.
- 5.Reached her peak classical rating of 2494 in 2020.
- 6.Became a Spanish citizen and Spain's top-rated woman in July 2023.
- 7.Finished third in the Global Chess League in 2025 and in 2026.
Khademalsharieh's season-by-season record in the league is on the Global Chess League profile.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sara Khadem's next tournament?
No event of hers after the Global Chess League in September 2026 had been announced in the sources checked on 20 October 2026. She is not in the women's section of the European Club Cup, which runs in Budva until 23 October.
What is Sara Khadem's FIDE rating?
On the October 2026 FIDE list she is rated 2414 in classical chess, 2346 in rapid and 2332 in blitz, and she is 37th among women in classical. Her highest classical rating, 2494, came in 2020.
How old is Sara Khadem?
She was born on 10 March 1997 in Tehran, Iran.
Is Sara Khadem the same player as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh?
Yes. FIDE lists her as Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat, and Sara Khadem is the shorter name used in news and broadcasts.
Why does Sara Khadem play for Spain?
After she played the 2022 World Rapid and Blitz Championships without the headscarf required in Iran, an arrest warrant was issued against her there. She moved to Spain in January 2023, transferred to the Spanish federation in July 2023 and became a Spanish citizen the same month.
What are Sara Khadem's best results?
As a junior she won the world under-12 girls' title in 2009 and the world under-16 girls' blitz title in 2013. As an adult she won the Iranian championship in 2015 and finished second at the Tehran event of the 2015-16 Women's Grand Prix while rated lowest in the field.
Sources
- 1.FIDE rating profile (chart page): October 2026 ratings, titles, rating history
- 2.FIDE top 100 women, October 2026
- 3.Chess.com player page: birth date, birthplace, junior titles
- 4.Chess.com: Sara Khadem gains Spanish citizenship (July 2023)
- 5.Sportstar: Sara Khadem interview at the Global Chess League 2025
- 6.Chess.com: Global Chess League 2025 final day
- 7.FIDE: Global Chess League 2026 final
- 8.ChessBase: Global Chess League 2026 team line-ups
- 9.FIDE: Norway Chess 2025 final standings
- 10.Chess-results: 2026 Olympiad women's team compositions
- 11.Chess-results: European Club Cup 2026 women's team compositions
Facts checked on 20 October 2026. Ratings are from the FIDE list of October 2026.
More profiles: all chess player profiles.
