I'm not a mod, but this question seems to be attracting far too many "answers" that are very, very poor (one literally was "The church probably did it because they hate fun"). From the rules of this sub:
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Suppositions and personal opinions are not a suitable basis for an answer in /r/AskHistorians. Warning phrases for speculation include:
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If your answer includes any of these phrases, it is likely that you are merely sharing your opinion or speculating, and not posting a proper answer.
Chess is a game, and not only that but a game of war. Various religions and sects have prohibited chess over the years for their own reasons, but the only instance I'm knowledgeable of is the time it was personally banned by St. Peter Damian, a Cardinal in Pope Leo IX's inner circle around 1000 CE. St. Peter Damian felt that chess was a game of chance that was forbidden by scripture's reference to "dice games." He argued with other chess-playing clergymen, including the Bishop of Florence, that all members of the Church were called to adhere to the conduct espoused by St. Paul (the first pope), who declared that what is not expedient or edifying is not allowed. From 1 Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor." Of course, St. Peter Damian's opinions on chess were unpopular because anyone who plays chess knows it is much more a game of skill and thought than luck and chance, and there was no official papal edict that banned chess church-wide.
Source: "The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints." Rev. Alban Butler, 1864.
Edit: St. Paul was not the first pope, he was an Apostle. My Catholic school nuns would've rapped my knuckles for that one.
Hello everyone,
Unfortunately, we have already had to remove a number of poor quality responses in this thread. There have been a large number of incorrect, speculative, or otherwise disallowed comments, and as such, they were removed by the mod-team. Please, before you attempt answer the question, keep in mind our rules concerning in-depth and comprehensive responses. Answers that do not meet the standards we ask for will be removed.
Additionally, it is unfair to the OP to further derail this thread with off topic conversation, so if anyone has further questions or concerns, I would ask that they be directed to modmail, or a META thread. Thank you!
OP can you elaborate? when and where was chess banned by the church?