Taliban bans chess in Afghanistan
The Taliban has banned chess in Afghanistan, adding the game to an ever-growing list of activities that have been banned. The group cites religious reasons, saying that the game is a source for gambling as a reason for the ban. Taliban officials have said that the game will be suspended indefinitely until it can be determined how compatible it is with Islamic law, according to the BBC.
The is the latest in the list of restrictions to cultural, social, and sporting events from the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Ministry since the group returned to power in 2021. Restrictions have primarily been aimed at women, banning them from public spaces, education, and jobs.
Chess, according to Atal Mashwani, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Sports Directorate who spoke with TOLO News, has been suspended because of “leadership issues within the national chess federation and religious concerns surrounding the game.” In Sharia law, he said, it is considered a “means of gambling.”
The country’s Chess Federation has been dissolved as a result of the ban.
The decision to outlaw chess has come months following the Taliban banning free fighting, including mixed martial arts, with the group saying that it is not aligned with Sharia law as it is too “violent.”
In October 2024, a decree was issued that prohibited women from praying aloud or reciting the Quran in each other’s presence. Earlier that year, it was made mandatory for women to cover their entire bodies, including their faces, at all times in public. Women have also been banned from singing, reciting, and reading out loud in public.
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