Ahmad Sami Hassanzadeh, a former chess coach, recounted how Taliban authorities violently intervened while he played chess in a park in Herat, enforcing a new ban on the game. The Taliban's prohibition on chess emerged after their power takeover in August 2021, with local chess activities being suppressed and an outright ban imposed on public and informal chess games. Reports confirm that women faced restrictions even earlier, being denied access to participated in chess clubs. The situation illustrates the broader implications of the Taliban's stringent morality laws affecting leisure activities.
"In short, this healthy and harmless entertainment was snatched away from us."
"Playing chess is forbidden. Buying a chess set is forbidden. Even watching it is forbidden."
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