Taliban Bans Chess, Calling It Gambling

“According to Sharia law, chess is viewed as a form of gambling, and is therefore prohibited under the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,” said Atal Mashwani, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Directorate of Sports, speaking to AFP. He added that the national chess federation has not held any official events for nearly two years and is facing internal leadership issues. “There are religious concerns regarding the sport of chess. Until these concerns are resolved, chess activities in Afghanistan will remain suspended,” Mashwani explained.

The ban is part of a broader campaign by the Taliban to enforce its strict interpretation of Islamic law. Since retaking power in 2021, the regime has restricted numerous sports—mixed martial arts (MMA), for instance, was deemed too violent and un-Islamic—and effectively banned women from participating in sports altogether.

Local businessman Azizullah Gulzada, who runs a Kabul café that used to host informal chess tournaments, criticized the move. “There was never any gambling here. Chess is played across the Muslim world, and some countries have players who compete at the highest international level. This ban will hurt my business and take away one of the few social outlets young people had,” he said.

FIDE and Grandmasters Speak Out

The international chess community quickly reacted to the announcement. Former FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov revealed he had written to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, urging him to reconsider the ban. In his letter, Ilyumzhinov highlighted chess’s historical significance in the Islamic world and noted that it was promoted by many Muslim scholars. He also announced plans to travel to Kabul for direct talks with Taliban officials.

Australian grandmaster and chess journalist Ian Rogers also responded on social media. Quoting a representative of the Afghan Chess Federation, Rogers noted that the ban may not be permanent but reflects an ongoing religious and administrative review. Still, he pointed out that the federation has already been inactive for two years due to leadership problems and lack of legitimacy.

A Deeply Ironic Decision

The decision has raised eyebrows internationally, not least because of the deep historical ties between chess and the Muslim world. After originating in India, chess spread through Persia and was developed further by Muslim scholars who produced early chess manuals and helped spread the game to Europe.

Ironically, this is not the first time chess has been banned in a Muslim-majority country. After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran outlawed chess, but the ban was lifted in 1988 when religious leaders recognized its intellectual value. Since then, Iran has become a chess powerhouse. In Saudi Arabia, chess was declared a “waste of time” in 2016 by the grand mufti, yet the country never implemented a formal ban and continues to send players to international competitions.

Afghanistan now stands as a rare example of a country banning chess not for practical or political reasons, but purely on ideological grounds—drawing criticism from around the globe and raising questions about the future of sport and intellectual life in the country.