Taliban Suspends Chess in Afghanistan Over Gambling Concerns

The Taliban government has suspended chess in Afghanistan as it reviews the game over gambling concerns. The government also suspended the Afghanistan National Chess Federation (ANCF) until further notice.

The ancient “game of kings” has been under scrutiny as the Taliban authorities have concerns that it is a source of gambling, which is illegal under the government’s morality law, as reported by The Straits Times.

Taliban Deems Chess Incompatible With Shariah Principles

Since coming to power in 2021, the acting government has imposed regulations that reflect its vision of Islamic law. Sports directorate spokesman Atal Mashwani said, “Chess in syariah (Islamic law) is considered a means of gambling.”

He added that religious considerations surround the sport of chess, and until they are addressed, the game will remain suspended in the country.

Chess journalist Ian Rogers quoted an official of the ANCF on X, stating that the game has been temporarily suspended, rather than banned, at least for the time being.

“Unlike sports like MMA, which were completely banned, chess has not been outlawed but placed under temporary suspension while religious and administrative reviews are ongoing,” said the official.

The official added that the Afghan Chess Federation has been suspended for multiple reasons, including disputes over leadership, mismanagement, and legitimacy. 

Mashwani noted that the federation has not held any official events nor had any effective activity inside Afghanistan for the past two years.

Informal Chess Circles Affected by Suspension

Mr. Azizullah Gulzada, who owns a cafe in Kabul, stated that the customers have regularly played informal chess but denied any gambling. “Many other Islamic countries have players on an international level,”  Gulzada said, noting that young people do not have many activities to do, so they come to the cafe to play games. 

While he acknowledged that the suspension would hurt his business, he added that he would respect it.

The Taliban have banned chess once before, when they came into power in 1996. 

The game returned as a popular pastime after the regime changed in 2001. Chess has enjoyed a resurgence in the country, with the national federation formerly operating under the government’s Ministry of Sports.

Afghanistan then won the D Category during the Batumi Olympiad in 2018, with CM Hkaiber Farazi, Wais Abdul Khaliq, CM Habibullah Amini, Ashrafi Sulaiman Ahmad, and Safy Kanz Ahmad in its team.

Since seizing power in 2021, the authorities have also restricted other sports, barring women from participating in any sports altogether.

Last year, the authorities banned free fighting, including mixed martial arts, in professional competitions. They said it was too violent and problematic in the eyes of the law.

The ban also comes soon after the Indian government raised similar concerns, questioning whether games of skill could become games of chance if betting is involved.