Divya Delhi: The Taliban has banned chess in Afghanistan until further notice. Their concern is that the game may be utilized for illegal gambling. This was confirmed by sports officials. The Taliban has imposed severe Islamic law on Afghanistan since taking power in 2021. According to sports directorate spokesperson Atal Mashwani, Islamic law considers chess gambling, which is prohibited under the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law passed last year. “There are religious reasons behind this decision,” Mashwani remarked. “Until these issues are addressed, chess will remain suspended in Afghanistan.” Azizullah Gulzada, who manages a Kabul café that hosted informal chess contests, denied gambling and said chess is played in other Muslim-majority countries. “Many other Islamic countries have international players,” he told AFP. He stated he would respect the suspension but it would affect his business and chess fans.