The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice under the Taliban* government in power in Afghanistan has declared chess "haram" (a game prohibited under its interpretation of Islamic law) and dissolved the sport's federation, Fergana.ru reported, citing Khaama.com .

Officials from Afghanistan's Sports Ministry confirmed the suspension of chess activities, explaining that chess would remain banned until the game was determined to be in compliance with Islamic law.

According to the publication, before the official ban, several chess players and chess fans applied to the Ministry of Sports for permission to organize events and financial support, but this appeal ultimately complicated their functioning even more.

As the Russian publication Sport-Express writes, the situation with chess in Afghanistan may turn out to be another “horror story about the Taliban”, allegedly the suspension of chess activity is connected not so much with “haram” as with organizational problems that the federation faced after the departure of its previous head to the West. The new head of Afghan chess, Obaidullah Quraishi, who took the team to the 2022 World Olympiad, did not find contact with the Taliban sports department, which led to organizational chaos. It is quite possible that the current sanctions are not religious in nature, but personnel-related. Although the author of the article admits that certain difficulties in the attitude towards chess in Islam do exist.

At the same time, the Russian publication writes that leading chess players from Afghanistan (many of whom live in Uzbekistan and Iran) have regularly complained over the past three years that their sport has declined under the Taliban. The federation has not enjoyed government support, has had difficulty finding money to hold local tournaments, and has faced management problems. However, according to the publication, there is no evidence of chess players being persecuted for idolatry or for violating religious traditions. And it is immediately noted that chess players who fled Afghanistan “tell tales in order to gain refugee status, which entitles them to benefits.”

Previously, the Taliban banned mixed martial arts (MMA) in the country, as well as some eSports disciplines , in particular the game PUBG.