Afghanistan bans chess over gambling concerns

Taliban authorities have said the game is illegal under the government’s morality law.

Afghanistan.- The Taliban government has banned chess in Afghanistan until further notice over concerns that it is a source of gambling, which is illegal under the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Act.

The decision was announced by Atal Mashwani, a spokesman for the sports ministry. He told AFP: “Chess is considered a means of gambling in Sharia (Islamic law)”. He that until religious concerns about the game were addressed, chess would be suspended in the country.

Azizullah Gulzada, who owns a cafe in Kabul that has hosted informal chess competitions, denied that any gambling occurred and pointed out that chess is played in many Muslim-majority countries. He said he would comply with the suspension but that it would negatively affect his business. He said: “Young people don’t have a lot of activities these days, so many came here everyday.”

Afghanistan’s authorities have restricted other sports in recent years, and women have mostly been banned from sports. In 2024, the authorities prohibited free fighting, such as mixed martial arts (MMA), saying it was too “violent” and “problematic with respect to sharia.”