Taliban suspends chess over gambling concerns2 days ago Share Save Thomas Mackintosh BBC News, London Share SaveAFP via Getty Images A stock image of a man playing chess in a tournament in Kandahar in June 2022The 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. 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". "Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan."