The Buddha HATED Chess, and told his disciples to avoid it at all costs

It is possible that at that time board games (including possibly the ancestor game of chess) were played with dice or had some element of gambling. (I am just speculating here; I don't know the history.) So perhaps Buddha was against gambling, and not particularly against board games on boards of size 8x10. It is even possible that he was not particularly against gambling, but he saw that men suffered due to gambling.

It's Zen, Akbar! This and not-this. Sheesh.