[Jaysh]

There was some doubt as to whether chess was to be considered an unbecoming, and therefore, an unlawful, game for clerics. In the opinion of St. Peter Damian it was certainly unlawful. On one occasion he caught the Bishop of Florence playing chess, to while away the time when on a journey. The bishop tried to defend himself by saying that chess was not dice. The saint, however, refused to admit the distinction, especially as the bishop was playing in public. Scripture, he said, does not make express mention of chess, but it is comprised under the term dice. And Baronius defends the saint's doctrine. Some sciolist, he remarks, may say that St. Peter Damian was under a delusion in classing chess under dice, since chess is not a game of chance but calls for the exercise of much skill and talent. Let that be as it may, he proceeds, priests must at any rate be guided in their conduct by the words of St. Paul, who declared that what is not expedient, what is not edifying, is not allowed.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06375b.htm

[Jaysh]

Chess had picked up in Europe and pretty soon many of the clergy was spending more time playing chess than saving souls. In 1061 Cardinal Damiani of Ostin forbad the clergy from playing chess. He died in 1072 and chess was resumed in his domain.
By 1093 the Eastern Orthodox church condemned chess. The Church stamped out chess in Russia as a relic of heathenism.


In Europe some members of the clergy thought that receiving a "check" in chess was similar to committing a sin which one was able to redeem. A checkmate was similar to committing a sin that was perishable, and thus deadly.


....it was still being banned in the churches up to 1125. John Zonares, a former captain of the Byzantine imperial guard, became a monk and issued a directive banning chess as a kind of debauchery.


St. Bernard (1090-1153) forbade his knights templars from playing chess.
Chess become more popular during the crusades, but Alexander Neckam, a British author, condemned chess as being frivilous.


By 1195, the Jews were seriously involved in playing chess, but Rabbi Maimonides included chess among the forbidden games for jews.


In 1197 the Abbot of Persigny was warning folks not to play chess.


In 1208 the bishop of Paris, Odo Sully, banned chess in Paris to his clergy.


It was also forbidden in Worcester, England in 1240 by the religous leadership.
In 1254 St Louis of France restricted chess to laymen. Provinical councils were forbidding chess in France (Beziers).


King Henry III (1207-1272) instructed the clergy to leave chess alone "on pain of durance vile."


In 1291 the Archbishop of Cantebury, John Peckman, was forbidding chess. He threatened to put anyone on a diet of bread and water if they played chess.


Priests were forbidden to play chess up to 1299. The Clementine Kormch wrote a series of directions of priests. It included no chess play.


Chess was forbidden in Germany in 1310 after the Council of Trier.
In 1322 the Jewish rabbi Kalonymnos Ben Kalonymous condemned chess. By 1328 the Jewish laws were intrepreted by some Jewish leaders that chess could be played, but not for money.


Chess was still forbidden in Germany up to 1329 after the Synod of Wurzburg.
Charles V (1337-1380) of France prohibited chess.


In 1380 William of Wickham (1324-1404), founder of New College, Oxford, and Winchester College, forbade chess. He was the Bishop of Winchester and the Chancellor of England twice.


Charles VI (1368-1422) of France continued to forbid chess. He later became unsane.
In 1405 John Huss (1369- ), Bohemian religious reformer, sought repentance for loss of self-control at the chess table during a game in Prague.

In 1549 the Protohierarch Sylvester wrote that those who play chess shall go to hell and be accursed on earth. This was documented in his work Domostroi (Household Goverment), a book of principles of family life. This was the first printed book in Moscow.


In 1550 Saint Teresa of Avila, a Spanish conventical reformer, mentioned chess in her writings to illustrate ethics and chess. The Church authorities in Spain proclaimed her patron of chessplayers.


In 1551 Czar Ivan IV (1530-1584), Ivan the Terrible, of Russia banned chess.
The leading clerics compiled the Stoglav Collection (council of the Hundred Chapters) in 1551, which prohibited chess in Moscow. This same document prohibited shaving as well as beards were said to imitate the visage of God and to distinguish Orthodox males from women.


Chess was still banned in Russia in the 17th century. In 1649 Czar Alexei (1629-1676) found some players playing chess and had them whipped and imprisoned.
The Puritans were against chess and discouraged chess play.


In 1996 chess and other clubs were banned from some high schools in Salt Lake City, Utah. Most of the school board is Mormon which condemns homosexuality. Rather than let gay high school students form an organization, they banned all nonacademic clubs. School board members said federal law gave them only two options: allow all extracurricular clubs or eliminate them all. Some 30 clubs, including the chess club, are banned for 1996-97.

[Jaysh]

bumpity bump.

[Timbit]

At least most Christians don't still think that chess is unlawful.

[Fortune]

Probably cause they suck at it and prefer checkers.

[Jaysh]

Originally Posted by Timbit

At least most Christians don't still think that chess is unlawful.

What do you mean "at least"? Who says that I was implying there is anything wrong with thinking that chess is haram? I was merely trying to show precedence, and how stupid Christians are when they mock Muslims for banning chess.

Having said that, chess used to be played with dice, and I believe that it is this type of chess that was explicitly haram. The chess of today is not the same chess, although there would be nothing wrong with precaution.

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by Jaysh

What do you mean "at least"? Who says that I was implying there is anything wrong with thinking that chess is haram? I was merely trying to show precedence, and how stupid Christians are when they mock Muslims for banning chess.

Having said that, chess used to be played with dice, and I believe that it is this type of chess that was explicitly haram. The chess of today is not the same chess, although there would be nothing wrong with precaution.

I meant that a lot of Muslims still think it's haraam.

[fahmed]

Originally Posted by Timbit

I meant that a lot of Muslims still think it's haraam.

Chess in the Light of the Jurist - Hamza Yusuf

[Jaysh]

Originally Posted by Timbit

I meant that a lot of Muslims still think it's haraam.

So what? Is this not a valid view?

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by Jaysh

So what? Is this not a valid view?

I hope not.

[Jaysh]

Originally Posted by Timbit

I hope not.

Imam Abu Haneefa and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and some of the companions of Imam Shafi'i held this opinion (i.e. that chess is haram).

[fahmed]

Originally Posted by Jaysh

Imam Abu Haneefa and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and some of the companions of Imam Shafi'i held this opinion (i.e. that chess is haram).

Check the article I posted. SHY goes into detail about the opinion of various schools.

[Abu_Hind]

Originally Posted by Timbit

I hope not.

Halal and Haram doesn't depend on what you think. Thank God for that!

[Revert]

Apart from the last point they are all Catholic "fatwas"

I don't know if that means anything..just an observation.

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by Jaysh

Imam Abu Haneefa and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and some of the companions of Imam Shafi'i held this opinion (i.e. that chess is haram).

Okay, serious question: why should we follow the opinions of scholars/jurists who lived centuries before us? Is Islam really this static?

I think maybe the rationale behind the prohibition of chess would apply to other things in our lives today (Islamica, for example, or Facebook or YouTube). If it's distracting you from your religious obligations, then it's probably not the best idea.