Taliban suspends chess in Afghanistan over gambling concerns

Chess has been banned in Afghanistan by the Taliban government due to fears that the game is a source of gambling.

Taliban officials have said that the game has been banned indefinitely until its compatibility with Islamic law can be determined, reports the BBC.

Chess is the latest sport to be restricted by the Taliban. Women are essentially barred from participating in sport at all.

Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban has steadily imposed laws and regulations that reflect its austere vision of Islamic law.

On Sunday, Atal Mashwani, the spokesman of the Taliban government's sports directorate, said chess in Islamic sharia law is "considered a means of gambling".

"There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess," he told AFP news agency.

"Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan."

One cafe owner in Kabul, who has hosted informal chess competitions in recent years, said he would respect the decision but it would hurt his business.

"Young people don't have a lot of activities these days, so many came here everyday," Azizullah Gulzada said.

"They would have a cup of tea and challenge their friends to a game of chess."

He also noted that chess is played in other Muslim-majority countries.

Last year, the authorities banned free fighting such as mixed martial arts (MMA) in professional competition, saying it was too "violent" and "problematic with respect to sharia".

"It was found that the sport is problematic with respect to Sharia and it has many aspects which are contradictory to the teachings of Islam," a Taliban spokesperson said last August.

MMA competitions were effectively outlawed in 2021 when the Taliban introduced legislation prohibiting "face-punching".