Taliban regime suspends chess over concern over gambling

Taliban bans chess in Afghanistan due to gambling concerns, reflecting strict Islamic law imposed since 2021.

Taliban authorities have barred chess across Afghanistan until further notice over concerns it is a source of gambling, which is illegal under the Government’s morality law, a sports official said on Sunday (May 11, 2025).

The Taliban government has steadily imposed laws and regulations that reflect its austere vision of Islamic law since seizing power in 2021.

“Chess in sharia (Islamic law) is considered a means of gambling,” which is prohibited according to the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law announced last year, sports directorate spokesperson Atal Mashwani told AFP.

“There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess,” he said.

“Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan,” he added.

Mashwani said the national chess federation had not held any official events for around two years and "had some issues on the leadership level".

Azizullah Gulzada owns a cafe in Kabul that has hosted informal chess competitions in recent years, but denied any gambling took place and noted chess was played in other Muslim-majority countries.