Taliban Outlaws Chess Amid Fears of Gambling, Sin

Posted on: May 12, 2025, 08:39h. 

Last updated on: May 12, 2025, 09:57h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.
  • The Taliban suspended chess, citing gambling and religious incompatibility
  • Chess federation dissolved under Afghanistan’s hardline Islamist regime
  • Ban adds to growing list of cultural and recreational restrictions

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has banned chess pending further notice, citing “religious considerations” and concerns about gambling.

Taliban chess ban, Afghanistan gambling laws, Islamic law
Chess players in Afghanistan during an event organized by the Afghan Chess Federation (ACF). Scenes like these are now a thing of the past, and the federation has been dissolved. (Image: ACF)

The Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced the game would cease indefinitely until its compatibility with Islamic law could be determined. Officials said the Afghanistan Chess Federation would also be dissolved. The organization was once part of the Afghan National Olympic Committee, although it hasn’t held an event in over two years.

Sports directorate spokesperson Atal Mashwani told the Associated French Press (AFP) that chess is considered a means of gambling under sharia law.

‘Satan’s Handiwork’

The Quran forbids Muslims to gamble, describing games of chance as a “grave sin” and “abominations of Satan’s handiwork.” Therefore, gambling is both illegal and a cultural taboo in the country.

Punishments for gambling under the Taliban include imprisonment, corporal punishment, such as flogging, fines, or the confiscation of property.

Chess and Afghans Go Way Back

Chess originated in India before making its way to Persia in the 6th to early 7th century, which means the game would have been played in Afghanistan long before it reached Europe.

After the Islamic conquests, it flourished in the Muslim world, including in Khorasan, a historical region that spanned much of northeastern Iran and western/central Afghanistan. The game was considered a noble and intellectual pursuit in Islamic courts and among Islamic scholars.

In more recent times, chess has remained modestly popular in Afghanistan, especially in urban centers. It’s unclear whether gambling on the game in private is common, although considering the religious, cultural, and legal prohibition, it’s probably unlikely.

Azizullah Gulzada, who owns a cafe in Kabul, told the AFP he has hosted informal chess competitions, but he would respect the ban despite the impact he expected it to have on his business. He denied gambling ever took place at his café. He also noted that other Islamic countries permitted the playing of chess.

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

Long List of Prohibitions

Chess is the latest in a long line of prohibitions suppressed for clashing with the Taliban’s austere interpretation of Islam. These include music stores, foreign films and TV shows, domestic TV shows depicting men and women interacting, and video games.

Women have been banned from secondary and higher education and from participating in sports. They are also forbidden from singing in public and from visiting parks, gyms, and other recreational areas.

The construction of windows overlooking areas where women may be present has also been banned to prevent “obscene acts.”