The Taliban government has banned chess across Afghanistan, saying the game can lead to gambling, which is not allowed under their rules based on Islamic law.

A government sports official, Atal Mashwani, told news agency AFP on Sunday that the game is being stopped for now.

“Chess in sharia (Islamic law) is considered a means of gambling,” he said.
 “Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan.”

Strict laws since 2021

Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, they have introduced several strict laws and rules to match their version of religious law. This chess ban comes under a rule called the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which was announced last year.

Mashwani also said that no official chess matches have happened in the country for about two years. He mentioned that the national chess federation also has some problems with its leadership.

Azizullah Gulzada, who owns a café in Kabul, said his café has hosted many informal chess games. He said there was no gambling involved and noted that other Muslim countries play chess at an international level.

“Many other Islamic countries have players on an international level,” he told AFP.

Gulzada said he would follow the ban, but he also shared that it would hurt his business and the young people who come to play.

“Young people don’t have a lot of activities these days, so many came here every day,” he said.

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