The Taliban government in Afghanistan has banned chess until further notice due to fears the game is a source of gambling.

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

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”.

“There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess,” he told AFP news agency.

“Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan.”

According to BBC, one cafe owner in Kabul, who has hosted informal chess competitions in recent years, said he would respect the decision but it would hurt his business.

“Young people don’t have a lot of activities these days, so many came here every day,” Azizullah Gulzada said.

“They would have a cup of tea and challenge their friends to a game of chess.”

He also noted that chess is played in other Muslim-majority countries.

Last year, the authorities banned free fighting such as mixed martial arts (MMA) in professional competition, saying it was too “violent” and “problematic with respect to sharia”.

“It was found that the sport is problematic with respect to Sharia and it has many aspects which are contradictory to the teachings of Islam,” a Taliban spokesperson said last August.

MMA competitions were effectively outlawed in 2021 when the Taliban introduced legislation prohibiting “face-punching”.