The Taliban has banned chess across Afghanistan until further notice. They are concerned that the game may be used for gambling, which is against their laws. This was confirmed by a sports officials on Sunday.
Since taking control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban government has introduced strict laws based on their interpretation of Islamic law.
A spokesperson for the sports directorate, Atal Mashwani, explained that chess is seen as a form of gambling in Islamic law, and gambling is banned under the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law that was introduced last year.
“There are religious reasons behind this decision,” Mashwani said. “Until these issues are addressed, chess will remain suspended in Afghanistan.”
Mashwani also mentioned that the national chess federation has not organized any official events for almost two years, mainly due to leadership problems.
How the Chess Ban Will Affect People in Afghanistan
Azizullah Gulzada, who runs a café in Kabul that used to host informal chess competitions, denied any gambling at his café and pointed out that chess is played in other Muslim-majority countries.
“Many other Islamic countries have players on an international level,” he told AFP.
He said he would respect the suspension, but it would hurt his business and those who enjoyed playing chess.
“Young people don’t have a lot of activities these days, so many came here every day,” he told AFP.
“They would have a cup of tea and challenge their friends to a game of chess.”
In recent years, Afghanistan’s authorities have restricted other sports as well, and women have been mostly banned from participating in sports in the country.
Last year, the authorities also banned free fighting sports like mixed martial arts (MMA) in professional competitions, saying it was too “violent” and “problematic with respect to sharia.”
