Taliban Suspends Chess In Afghanistan Over Gambling Concerns

The Taliban government has suspended chess in Afghanistan. Currently reviewing the game over gambling concerns, the Taliban has also suspended the Afghanistan National Chess Federation (ANCF). It is far from the first time that the game of kings is under scrutiny for religious reasons.

The Afghan online news service Khaama Press reported on Sunday that the country's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has banned chess due to "religious considerations." Chess-related activities in Afghanistan have been put on hold indefinitely, and the Afghanistan National Chess Federation has been dissolved.

"Chess in sharia (Islamic law) is considered a means of gambling," sports directorate spokesperson Atal Mashwani told AFP. "There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess. Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan," he said.

Afghanistan's authorities have restricted other sports in recent years and women have been essentially barred from participating in sport altogether in the country. Last year, free fighting such as mixed martial arts (MMA) in professional competition was banned for it being "too violent" and "problematic with respect to sharia."

Chess journalist GM Ian Rogers quoted an official of the Afghanistan National Chess Federation (ANCF) on social media platform X, who spoke of a temporary suspension and not a ban: "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."

Contrary to media reports, but according to an official of the Afghan Chess Fed.: "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." 1/2

— Ian Rogers (@GMIanRogers) May 12, 2025

The official further noted that the chess federation in Afghanistan had "no effective activity" in the country over the past two years.

The official said that the Afghan Chess Federation has also been suspended for various reasons including mismanagement, disputes over leadership and legitimacy. "As a result, the ACF has had no effective activity inside Afghanistan for the past 2 years." 2/2

— Ian Rogers (@GMIanRogers) May 12, 2025

Ghulam Ali Malak Zad, the President of the Afghanistan National Chess Federation, confirmed to Chess.com that chess is not permitted at this time, neither in formal nor informal settings.

"While the term 'temporary suspension' may suggest a review period, no timeline or roadmap has been offered for when—or if—chess activities may resume," he clarified. "As a result, the Afghan Chess Federation has been forced to halt all of its official operations, and the environment remains restrictive even for casual play in public spaces such as parks or clubs. Players face uncertainty and risk simply for engaging in the game they love.

"Despite these challenges, I remain committed as the President of the Afghan Chess Federation to standing by our players, as I always have," he added. "It is heartening that we now have Afghan representatives and champions continuing to compete in exile, keeping the flag of our chess heritage alive. These individuals are not just players—they are ambassadors of our national identity and resilience."

These individuals are not just players—they are ambassadors of our national identity and resilience.
—Ghulam Ali Malak Zad

The AFP press release quoted Azizullah Gulzada, owner of a cafe in Kabul where informal chess is played regularly. He denied any gambling took place, and said: "Many other Islamic countries have players on an international level." 

Gulzada further said he would respect the suspension but that it would hurt his business and those who enjoyed the game: "Young people don't have a lot of activities these days, so many came here every day," he told AFP. "They would have a cup of tea and challenge their friends to a game of chess."

Former president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Ilyumzhninov weighed in on X, saying he has "prepared an appeal to the Taliban leadership with a request to reconsider their decision."

‼️ In connection with the situation with the ban on chess in Afghanistan, I have prepared an appeal to the Taliban leadership with a request to reconsider their decision. pic.twitter.com/pP7qojbLJ6

— Кирсан Илюмжинов (@Kirsan__) May 11, 2025

The Taliban had also banned chess soon after coming into power in Afghanistan in 1996, but the game returned as a popular pastime in the country after the regime change in 2001. At the Batumi Olympiad in 2018, Afghanistan won the D Category with CM Khaiber Farazi, CM Habibullah Amini, Wais Abdul Khaliq, Ashrafi Sulaiman Ahmad, and Safy Kanz Ahmad in the team. The Taliban retook control of the country in 2021 and has now announced the suspension.

Chess being banned for religious reasons has a long history. It was also prohibited by the Iraqi clergy in post-Saddam Iraq and by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Iran in 1981. According to David Shenk in his 2006 book The Immortal Game, the earliest Islamic ruling against the game was in 655 by Caliph Ali Ben Abu-Talib while another ban was put in place in 780 by Abbasid Caliph al-Mahdi ibn al-Mansur.

From the early Middle Ages until the mid-thirteenth century, the Catholic Church regularly prohibited playing chess as it did not clearly distinguish between chess and dice games. In a famous letter from 1061 by Cardinal Bishop Petrus Damiani to the Pope-elect Alexander II and the Archdeacon Hildebrand (later Pope Gregory VII), Damiani suggested that some clergy members had sinned by participating in certain leisure activities, including chess. The bishop of Florence defended himself by pointing out that, unlike other games which involved luck, chess was a game of skill.