Chess Playing Banned in Afghanistan

The Taliban have deemed chess "haram" in Afghanistan. The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has announced that the game is banned and has closed the country’s chess federation.

This was reported by Andrey Serenco, director of the Analytical Center of the Union of Political Scientists of Russia, on his Telegram channel. He recounted that on May 9, Afghan chess players approached the sports department requesting permission to play chess as well as financial assistance for organizing activities and tournaments related to the sport.

Representatives from the Taliban's Department of Sports and Physical Education informed them that the emir's decree had declared chess forbidden and stripped the federation of its ability to continue operations, Serenco wrote.

According to him, the chess federation had continued to operate in the country after the Taliban came to power. Both men and women were able to learn to play chess, and competitions were also held in the country. As Serenco added, while chess is considered an intellectual and educational sport in most countries, it faces significant challenges in Afghanistan.