Shohreh Bayat is an athlete, international chief chess arbiter, and chess tutor. In 2021, she was honored as an International Woman of Courage. She has officiated many top-level chess events, including the World Championship Final 2020. A photograph of her at the event with a loose hijab was published in the Iranian media and the government asked her to write a public apology. Instead, she decided to take a stand against the Iranian regime by completely removing her headscarf to protest the mandatory hijab. For this, she was honored with the 2021 International Women of Courage Award. Now, Shohreh is a refugee in London and who wishes to help other refugees with their mental wellbeing through chess.

IVLP Impact Award Project: Chess for the Wellbeing of Ukrainian Refugees in the United Kingdom

By late February 2022, more than 53,000 Ukrainians had arrived in the UK fleeing the Russian invasion. Having been displaced from their homes, youth and adolescents are exposed to extreme stressors that negatively impact their psychosocial wellbeing, leaving them vulnerable to developing stress, disorientation, depression, and hopelessness which diminishes their mental health and quality of life.

The potential for sports and games to create a safe and supportive environment and a place of inclusion for forcibly displaced asylum seekers and refugees is now widely recognized. The Sport for Protection Approach, developed and championed by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Olympic Committee and Terre des Hommes, builds on the unique ability of sports to actively and meaningfully engage young people to achieve positive outcomes in social inclusion, social cohesion and psychosocial wellbeing.

This project focused on the importance of chess for the wellbeing of refugees. It proposed a program of chess for protection, psychological wellbeing, social cohesion and social inclusion for Ukrainian refugees. It also helped them learn basic communication in English through socializing with and learning chess from an English-speaking teacher. Shohreh organized 35 chess lessons across five cities in the UK, reaching 311 Ukrainian refugees.

Why chess? Chess often serves as a tool for empowerment that helps to enhance the psychosocial wellbeing of people and their ability to reach their full potential, regardless of their background. The game can also make a huge impact in the lives of young people, giving them new learning opportunities and engaging them in meaningful activities where they have a chance to heal, develop and grow. These were the aims of the Chess for Protection project. Additionally, the game is available for all ages and is physically accessible to individuals living with a disability, girls, and gender-diverse or LGBT+ youth.

"This made even more people from Ukraine realize that they are supported outside of Ukraine in various spheres of life. Young athletes find new friends, new knowledge and, more importantly, psychological help during training. None of this would have happened without the support of the IVLP.” - Chess Tutor

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Shohreh was a recipient of the International Women of Courage Award, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center.

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually 

Little Rock, AR; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Minneapolis, MN; Kansas City, MO; St. Louis, MO; New York City, NY; Salt Lake City, UT; Jackson, WY

Country: United Kingdom 

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