Taliban bans chess in Afghanistan

Chess has been officially banned in Afghanistan, Kursiv.uz reported. The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice declared the game haram — prohibited from a religious standpoint. The Afghan Chess Federation has also been formally dissolved.

This was reported by Andrey Serenko, head of the Center for Afghan Policy Studies.

On May 9, representatives of the chess community appealed to the Sports Department, requesting permission to continue operating clubs and organizing tournaments. In response, they were told that there is an emir’s decree prohibiting chess and revoking the federation’s legal status.

The federation had continued its operations even after the Taliban came to power, teaching chess to both men and women and hosting competitions across the country. Now, according to local players, the sport has fallen into complete decline.