Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Sheikh declared chess is forbidden in Islam when he was asked about the game on a television show.
The top religious official said chess was “included under gambling” and was “a waste of time and money and a cause for hatred and enmity between players.” the Guardian reports. A verse in the Qur’an bans “intoxicants, gambling, idolatry and divination.”
Al Sheikh did not deliver his response to the question as a formal decree, though British chess grandmaster Nigel Short told the BBC the pronouncement means members of the Saudi Chess Associations could be imperiled for playing the game. “I don’t consider chess to be a threat to society. It’s not something that is so depraved as to corrupt morals,” Short said.
Chess had previously been forbidden in Iran, though Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini lifted the ban about a decade later.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com