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Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Chess ban in Afghanistan: ‘Why is it dangerous for Taliban? (Because) They're against knowledge, and development'
The man on the other side of the line wants to be called Shuja. It's not his real name. It's a pseudonym that he makes up on the spot during the long-distance phone call to ensure his safety. He is, after all, currently living in Afghanistan, where 10 days ago, chess – his enduring passion since childhood – was outlawed with an edict from the all-powerful Amr bil Ma'ruf wa Nahi 'an al-Munkar (the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice under the Taliban). With one decree, chess became a dangerous pursuit overnight. Playing the sport in Afghanistan is now haram. Forbidden. Shuja, he explains, in the local language means 'to be brave'. Having any link to the now-forbidden shatranj while living in Afghanistan requires plenty of courage after the sport was temporarily suspended in the country due to 'religious considerations'. The phrase temporary suspension is a false dawn: since the government has not provided any timeline for the suspension to be lifted or remedial measures that the sport must take for the suspension to end, it's as good as a long-term ban. 'If a tournament is organized in Afghanistan now, the organisers and the players will be arrested. There will be so many punishments,' says Shuja. Since English is not his first language, he's asked another player, Sulaiman Ahmad Ashrafi, who was part of the Afghanistan team that won a gold medal in the D category at the Batumi Olympiad in 2018, to translate. Ashrafi, who has allowed the use of his name because he does not live in Afghanistan anymore, takes a break from translating to elaborate. 'There is no clear law that says what will happen if you are caught playing chess. They are explaining that we are doing this according to Sharia Law. But if they get arrested, it will be kind of a jungle law. So whatever they want, they can do,' says Ashrafi. Ashrafi also explains how just the suspicion of playing the sport can have other consequences. He speaks of the multiple 'punishments and threats' that could be used against anyone involved with the sport. 'They will check your mobile. If they find, for example, one picture from the previous leadership, they will think that you have connections to them or you are supported by them. Then, they will slap you with another charge and force another penalty on you. Or let's say they find a girl's picture on your mobile, they will ask who this is, is she related? So, they have allowed themselves to do anything to you.' The sport has long irked the current powers that be, not just because they believe it to be a form of gambling, but also because they felt it distracted the masses from their prayers. The imprint on the sport of the Soviet Union, the country's one-time invaders, is also unmistakable. 'Chess in Islamic sharia law is considered a means of gambling', Atal Mashwani, a spokesman of the Taliban government's sports directorate, told news agency AFP while confirming the ban. 'There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess. Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan,' he added. This explanation has angered the chess community, who reason that other Islamic chess nations have not banned the sport. 'Chess is not haram for all other Islamic countries. Why is chess dangerous for the Taliban? Because it improves knowledge and IQ. They are against knowledge, growth and development. When they captured Kabul, they first banned education for women. Now, look at the school for boys, they study mostly Islamic subjects rather than science,' says Ashrafi. The ban on the sport came suddenly. But for those involved with the sport, it was not surprising. The sport was also banned in Afghanistan in the previous iteration of the Taliban government. The country's chess fraternity had been bracing itself for impact ever since the Taliban usurped power in August 2021 after the US and NATO forces withdrew from the country. Soon, all office-bearers of the Afghanistan National Chess Federation (ANCF) left the country and are currently operating out of exile. The first casualties of the Taliban coming back into power were female athletes: the government banned women and girls in the country from participating in all sports. At last year's Paris Olympics, three Afghan women athletes, who live in exile, represented Afghanistan. The Afghan women's cricket team is also based out of Australia. Ghulam Ali Malak Zad, the president of the Afghan chess federation, tells The Indian Express that they left the country as soon as they could because the Taliban started investigating and interrogating even professional athletes and teachers. ANCF officials had to flee the country because they were officially involved in the running of the sport. Many players stayed back because none of them were in the sport as a means of subsistence: all chess players in Afghanistan have other professions and play chess on the side for passion. 'We were in Afghanistan when the Taliban seized power in August. But the leadership of the chess federation felt threats from the Taliban. That's why we left at the start of September. Even leaders of the National Olympic Committee left the country,' Malak Zad says before adding: 'We are in touch with all players in Afghanistan. We do not have any information regarding any punishment for playing chess in Afghanistan as of now. But you can't even play the sport privately at home since the ban.' He says that with technology like smartphones and computers making the world more accessible to Afghans, the misdeeds of the Taliban cannot be carried out in secret. 'In the first phase of Taliban rule, they were very aggressive. They attacked a lot of people,' he says. But he points out that in their second coming, the Taliban acts with more discretion. The threat to lives for a 'crime' like playing chess persists, though. For FIDE, the global governing body of chess, the departure of the leadership of the Afghan Chess Federation from the country—due to personal safety concerns—was a clear signal that the environment for chess had become more difficult, Dana Reizniece, Deputy Chair of the Management board of FIDE, told The Indian Express. 'In that broader context, the suspension, while disappointing, was not entirely unexpected,' Reizniece, who is leading FIDE's response to the Afghanistan situation, says. She adds that FIDE was given no warning by the Taliban government about the ban. FIDE is currently contemplating its next move. As the international governing body, FIDE does not have direct contact or communication with the Afghan government. It usually maintains relations with authorities through the national federations, which act as a primary contact in each country. But since the ANCF is currently in exile, the situation is tricky. 'We're exploring the possibility of outreach through trusted intermediaries within the wider chess and international sports community,' she says. 'While our direct contact with players and clubs inside Afghanistan is currently limited, we are actively exploring ways to support the local chess community. FIDE will do all it can to find a solution to enable Afghan players to continue to participate in international chess competitions. We are assessing how best to engage. Any such efforts must be carefully considered given the context on the ground.' The three people that The Indian Express spoke to in the Afghan chess community said that currently, there are no reports of anyone being punished or jailed for playing chess or organising a tournament. But that's because when the edict was made public, the sport just stopped dead. Three days after the ban was declared, a rapid, rated tournament was supposed to be held in one of the biggest cities of Afghanistan, the sort of event that a fledgling player with ambition would circle on their calendar. Just under 100 players were supposed to play in it. That never happened. Afghanistan does have a history with the sport, says Malak Zad. 'Chess in Afghanistan has a history of more than half a century. A long time ago in Afghanistan, even when chess was not a thing, people used to play it in restaurants. It was a cultural thing. People would play even in parks and at home. If they had a party, and they played traditionally.' Chess was just starting to flourish in Afghanistan. For many decades, it was looked at as a form of entertainment. But over the recent years, with ANCF and FIDE efforts, there had been some professionalism coming in among the players. In the past two years, there were at least four FIDE-rated events in the country. The sport used to have an imprint in 28 provinces in the country. According to FIDE records, Afghanistan has 528 recorded players. There are no Grandmasters or International Masters yet. But the country has five FIDE Masters and five registered Candidate Masters each. 'We used to have local tournaments weekly in the country. So many prize-money tournaments, rated tournaments, rapid, blitz… all of these would happen in the country before the ban. But right now, there are no tournaments. Some chess players are under tremendous pressure,' says Shuja. 'Some of the players play secretly, at home by themselves. But even to do that, we are scared.' Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Rs 50,000 a month and countless sacrifices: How India's chess future shapes up in Chennai hut
GM Shyam's chess academy Pranav V and Srihari LR GM Shyam's chess academy Pranav V and Srihari LR GM Shyam's chess academy 1 2 NEW DELHI: "My father used to say that if wealth is lost, nothing is lost; if health is lost, something is lost; but if character is lost, everything is lost. So, I also want my students to be as genuine as possible," a proud coach in GM Shyam Sundar M recalls, just days after his 19-year-old protégé Srihari LR became India's 86th grandmaster by attaining his third GM norm at the Asian Individual Chess Championship in Al-Ain, UAE. Over the last few months, GM Shyam and his students have been making waves for all their over-the-board heroics. From Pranav V emerging as the FIDE Junior World Champion to Srihari becoming India's latest grandmaster and the elated coach claiming "there will be few more GMs in the coming months with God's grace", Shyam Sundar's Chennai-based academy, Chess Thulir , appears on a mission to produce a batch of elite prodigies. 'I've been coaching informally for nearly a decade now, but I felt it needed a name, and that's how Chess Thulir was born. 'Thulir' means blossom in Tamil, like how a flower blossoms,' Shyam tells from Sharjah. 'It started online during COVID-19 and gradually became a full-fledged offline academy.' Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Queensland: Slash Your Power Bills With a Battery Australian Solar Batteries Get Quote Undo Shyam's transition from player to coach wasn't sudden. 'Back in the 2018 Batumi Olympiad, I was already helping the Indian team. Even before that, I mentored many who couldn't afford professional guidance,' recalls the 32-year-old chess maestro. 'During 2016-2018, I realised financial constraints and lack of support held back many, and that's why even I couldn't become an elite-level grandmaster. That's when I felt the need for a proper academy where players could train professionally." A day at the academy The uniqueness of Shyam Sundar's coaching lies in its structured yet fluid approach, covering all aspects: opening theory, practical psychology, and even game-day opponent assessments. Sessions often begin at 10 a.m. and stretch to 5 p.m., including rigorous game analysis and situational problem-solving, with a one to one-and-a-half-hour break in between. Post-lunch, the team often heads outdoors, playing cricket or badminton: a routine that has built some commendable camaraderie within the group. 'Everyone's equal on the turf. Ratings don't matter there. We laugh, compete, and bond. That's a huge part of the academy's soul,' the coach adds. Most players training under Shyam are already above 2300 Elo, including several International Masters and Grandmasters. Camps are typically conducted once or twice a month. During camps, however, Shyam becomes a bit strict: "I usually conduct camps for specific rating brackets. Like, if I'm doing it for 2400+ players, I rarely include someone slightly below that, only if they show strong potential. Even if the camp isn't financially rewarding, I prioritise maintaining that high standard." More than a mentor Shyam's emotional investment in his students goes beyond the 64 squares as he adds, 'I consider most of my students like my own kids. That helps them open up, not just about chess, but about life too.' 'I want them to play active, dynamic chess. No playing for draws. I lead by example. Like, even when I play them, I push aggressively. They must see me practice what I preach.' However, the Gen-Z mindset, he admits, can get 'tricky'. 'With so much material online, they can get lost. My job is to channel that curiosity in the right direction, keep it structured and focused. Even after the camp ends, I continue mentoring them, tracking what they're studying daily, what kind of chess content they're consuming,' Shyam explains. "I'm really glad there's no unhealthy competition in my academy. The players are more like friends. They freely share opening files and knowledge without hesitation." Challenges in running an academy But nurturing champions doesn't come cheap. 'Running an academy is extremely stressful,' Shyam confesses. 'In Chennai, I spend around Rs 50,000 a month just for the basics, like rent, electricity, Wi-Fi. And if I'm travelling for 30-40 days with a player, the academy earns nothing during that period. It's a heavy toll. Sometimes, I feel like giving up.' There's also the growing pressure of expectations, with parents often demanding GM-only coaches for their kids, and trainers, tempted by better offers, slipping away. 'Sometimes I feel like downsizing, moving fully online, or just doing commentary or writing articles that would be far easier and financially rewarding.' A key factor in the academy's sustainable success, however, is Tamil Nadu's chess-friendly ecosystem. Many schools in Chennai offer academic leniency, granting extra holidays and understanding players' commitments, while also providing financial support to prodigies. "When Gukesh won the World Championship, he was gifted a car by his school," shares Shyam, who takes solace in his students' achievements despite the personal sacrifice of spending less time with his family. 'I miss time with my family, my daughter's four now, and I don't get to see her much. But I keep telling myself: to gain something, something must be given.' ALSO READ: RCB fan who became a world champion: The story of chess prodigy Pranav V | Exclusive What the future holds ... With his students achieving milestone after milestone, Shyam remains grounded in his method: 'In today's AI-driven world, we're flooded with computer-generated ideas and influenced by social media. Like they say, even a genius mind can make elementary mistakes. I try to convey the human way of thinking.' Bombay Sport Exchange Ep 5: Shane Watson on how IPL gave him a lifeline & his tribute to Phil Hughes With a focus on creating more GMs, the coach signs off with humility and hope: 'My motto is simple: Be good. Do good. God will take care of the rest. These past few years have been tough, but maybe that's just God preparing me for something bigger. And if that 'something' means helping these kids become champions, in chess and in life, then it's all worth it.'
