Dorsa Derakhshani

Dorsa Derakhshani is an Iranian-American chess player who holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM), both awarded in 2016. Born in 1998 in Tehran, Iran, she showed exceptional promise from a young age, winning three gold medals at the Asian Youth Chess Championships in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

In February 2017, Derakhshani made international headlines when the Iranian Chess Federation banned her from representing Iran after she competed at the Gibraltar Chess Festival without wearing a hijab. Rather than comply with restrictions on her personal freedom, she chose to switch federations and began representing the United States. The decision made her a symbol of courage and personal expression in international sports.

Since joining US Chess, Derakhshani has continued to compete at a high level. She finished third in the 2020 US Women's Chess Championship and achieved a peak FIDE rating of 2405. She has been affiliated with the Saint Louis Chess Club, one of the premier chess institutions in the world.

Beyond chess, Derakhshani is pursuing a career in medicine. She graduated summa cum laude from Saint Louis University in 2022 with a major in biology and clinical health science, and is currently a medical student at the University of Missouri. She balances her studies with competitive chess, representing the Mizzou Chess Team, and continues to advocate for freedom of expression and women's rights in sports.