Chess called ‘the work of Satan’ by Saudi cleric

BEIRUT— Saudi Arabia’s top cleric has declared the playing of chess “forbidden,” calling it a waste of time and money that creates hatred between players.

In a fatwa, or religious decree, issued in response to a question from a caller to a Saudi television show, grand mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh said the game was “the work of Satan,” like alcohol and gambling, despite its long history in the Middle East. Chess is played across the Arab world.

Amember of the Saudi Chess Association, Musa BinThaily, took to Twitter on Thursday to defend the game, saying it had nothing to do with gambling and that the association had held 70 events in the kingdom. He posted photos of Saudi players at the group’s events, including one that showed members of the group posing with a prince from the United Arab Emirates.

It was unclear when the fatwa by the grand mufti was issued, but it appeared to garner attention online in the run-up to a chess tournament scheduled for Friday in Mecca. The chess association said it planned to go ahead with the tournament regardless of the fatwa.

Saudi Arabia follows an austere interpretation of Islam, prohibiting socializing between men and women who are not related and bans most forms of music.