Taliban suspends chess in Afghanistan over gambling concerns

Chess will be suspended until religious considerations are addressed, a spokesman said.

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Officials said the game has been prohibited indefinitely until its compatibility with Islamic law can be determined.

Chess is the latest sport to be restricted by the Taliban. Women are essentially barred from participating in sport at all.

Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban has steadily imposed laws and regulations that reflect its austere vision of Islamic law.

On Sunday, Atal Mashwani, the spokesman of the Taliban government's sports directorate, said chess in Islamic sharia law is "considered a means of gambling".